Inspiration
by MHZutaraFanGirl
Summary: Zuko X. Agni is a world famous writer with a controlling girlfriend. Katara L. Kalan is your typical girl-next-door. But when a contest is held, things will change for the both of them. For better and for worse...
1. Not Anymore

**Hullo! Okay, so after reading through Inspiration, I realized there were a few details that needed fixing. So I edited, added, and got rid of a few things. Hopefully for the better. :) Enjoy the first chapter! (sorry it's short)**

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><p>Chapter One<p>

Not Anymore

Zuko X. Agni could see the flashing of the cameras through the black tinted windows and the screams pierced his ears, which ensured that a huge crowd awaited. He felt the limo come to a stop and watched as his girlfriend hastened to fix her long black dress and hair, applying an absurd amount of mascara onto her dull grey eyes which were as hard as stone.

This was the last place in the world he wanted to be, even though most people would kill to be in his situation. He would gladly give it to them.

The fame, fortune, the stalker fan girls...everything.

But it was a long shot that it would come true, but one could only hope. She finally finished her makeup and their driver opened the door for the two.

At once the bright, flashing lights of the cameras stung his eyes and the screams of the people behind the rope hurt his ears. So it was to begin. Mai grabbed his arm and held it tightly, a smug smile on her face. She could never just do a normal smile; it always had to be smug, smirk-like, sly, or sinister. A few fan girls pouted where they stood, but continued their insane screaming, nonetheless.

Fans stretched their arms over the rope, holding up books and pictures of him in a desperate attempt to get his autograph and attention. One guy even passed out and had foam coming out of his mouth when Zuko passed by and fainted.

He saw a look of annoyance on his girlfriend's face when he went over to oblige to their wishes (the autograph, not the others things they were shouting).

They squealed in delight, yelling how much they loved him and wanted to have his babies. With that comment, Zuko's face lit up like a Christmas tree and he hastened to the next person, avoiding eye contact. His fans could be seriously creepy at times, but he couldn't help but feel a little proud…but still frightened. Mai grabbed his arm again and tugged so hard she nearly pulled it out of its socket.

"C'mon," she hissed in his ear. "Daddy worked very hard on this motion picture, and you will see it instead of hanging out with _these_ people." She abruptly smiled and placed a peck on his cheek when the paparazzi began to snap pictures again.

She giggled like her boyfriend said something witty; it sounded more like a dying croak. He almost sighed, but remained in control, pulling off a large, false smile. They walked down the red carpet, waving and posing with some of the actors who had smug looks on their faces, while only a handful were hanging around the fans.

Mai released his arm to pose with her father, world famous movie director Gerald "Governor" Black. He permitted a sigh of relief and smiled kindly as his squealing fans who were continuing to shout about his babies.

He blushed again. He turned his head down the row of people, and his gaze stopped on one particular person standing there, not shouting, squealing, or yelling very inappropriate things. Instead, she held a book in his hand he recognized as his own, and she stared calmly at the actors, her eyes drifting slowly to his until their gazes locked.

Something just _clicked_. He couldn't explain it, but he felt as if someone had flicked on the light switch inside of him, if that made any sense.

As if a trance, Zuko began to walk toward her, not even noticing evil stares he was earning from his "girlfriend". He stopped in front of her, the girl, and smiled when a look of surprise and disbelief fell across her heart shaped face. She was very pretty, with light skin the color of mocha-frap that had a smooth complexion, and he briefly desired to caress her cheek, but managed to restrain himself.

Her hair was dark brown, thick, and laired, held in a loose braid that went over her left shoulder. Her eyes, her loveliest feature, were large and the color of the ocean. He could almost see waves moving in her irises...

When an actor accidentally bumped into him, he snapped out of the trance, blinking.

She smiled sheepishly. "Hello, um, Mr. Agni," she said, her voice small and meek like she was a mouse cornered by a hungry cat. "How are you?"

He raised a questioning eyebrow. Fan-girls normally didn't start conversations with him like that...fascinating. "I am well. You?"

"Good," she said, a blush rising into her face. "May I please have your autograph?"

Interesting, he thought. She wasn't screaming her vocals dry, nor was she yelling anything like "OMG! ZUKO! I LOVE YOU! MARRY ME! GIVE ME YOUR AUTOGRAPH SO I CAN MAKE OUT WITH IT!" She had just simply asked him in a polite tone, which took him by surprise. This girl was extremely odd...and he liked it.

"Yes, of course," he said, blushing. She handed him the book; it was paperback and was held together by duck tape on the side. _Together at Dawn and Dusk_, it read.

One of his first novels, about the legendary fire goddess Agni and the ocean spirit's secret relationship. He had nearly forgotten about it. He studied the pages for a short second before opening it up to find in blue ink something scribbled on the paper:

_Property of Katara L. K. Return if Lost: REWARD!_

Katara...so that was her name...

He wrote down his name slowly, looking up at her from time to time, and handed the almost-decapitated book back to the mocha girl. Her cheeks had turned scarlet as he lingered for almost a full minute, just staring at her like she was a very rare curio he had discovered somewhere in the wilderness of the Amazon.

But he was pulled away quite suddenly by his furious looking girlfriend. Well, her expression wasn't angry; but her dull grey that resembled a rock was now stormy, and he could almost see lightning flashing and could almost hear thunder roaring despite the clear sky.

She flashed the mocha girl a deadly glare, which was too quick for any of the paparazzi to snap a picture, and she returned back to her false smiling.

"Darling, dearest," she cooed, fixing the collar of his shirt. "We must hurry if we are to see your BEST SELLING BOOK TURNED INTO A MOVIE." She emphasized each word, making sure everyone nearby could hear her, and the crowd when even crazier, if that was possible.

She giggled again and dragged him inside the building. But as the movie played, he thought nothing of the actors of the plot or the special affects, ignoring even the music. His thoughts remained on the girl, and her soft blue eyes. Nothing like Mai's cold stare that made even Dwayne Johnson whimper like a puppy.

He had this undying urge to see her again, to hear her silvery voice again, to touch her soft skin. He sighed loudly, causing almost everyone close to him turn.

He ignored them. To please himself and his fantasies, he pretended Mai was the girl, and it was her hand he was holding. But Mai's hands were icy cold like the dead, and she did not respond when he gently squeezed out of false affection.

She was just lifeless: a zombie, if you will. He had the overwhelming urge to breakup with her right then and there, but he restrained himself, pulling hard on his leash of freedom.

That was not an option, leaving her. Not anymore.

But still, no one could stop him from hoping.

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><p><strong>First chapter stinks, and I apologize for that. I hope you enjoyed it, though. review if you like, or flame. :) ttfn<strong>


	2. Mystery Woman

**SnoopyGirl213: Thanks! :)**

**AnnaAza: eep, thank you so much! :D**

**Second chapter. Enjoy. :)**

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><p>Chapter Two<p>

Mystery Woman

"It is official!" Jin said dramatically. "Our darling Katara isheadover heels!"

Katara L. Kalan's gaze, which had previously been upon the book in her hands, turned up in surprise. She had assumed she was alone, so hearing another voice took her off guard. She automatically closed the book, straightened her posture, and prepared to say something kind but realized it was just Jin.

Not a customer. She stood behind the counter of the small, yet cozy, lobby. The floor was a lovely light wood that was smooth to the touch, the walls painted periwinkle, a comforting color _she_ had been fond of.

The chairs were nothing special; just a leather the color of cream. And the coffee table was made of glass and had forget-me-nots in a small handmade vase in the center. The windows were large and shed light into the room, creating an iridescent glow.

"Excuse me?" Katara said, staring in confusion at the two girls before her.

Jin rolled her bright, spring green eyes. "Oh, puh-leese, Kit Kat, you haven't been able to wipe that _'I'm sooooo in looooove' _look off your face since last night." She leaned against the counter on her elbow, raising one eyebrow and seemed to be trying to remain serious, though failing drastically. "You so love him."

"I...I..."

What was she supposed to say? She was in love with world famous writer _Zuko X. Agni_? There was no way she was going to say that! The last thing she wanted to be was a stalker-fan-girl who only _thought_ she was in love with said famous person.

But, she was not going to lie, she did feel something for the young writer, but she wouldn't call it...affection. More like admiration. And not that it mattered; anyway, he was dating Mai Black, daughter of most famous director in history, who ranked number seven in _Tiger Beat. _And she was just the daughter of an innkeeper. Swallowing hard, she answered in a steady voice:

"I was studying at the library."

"EH! Wrong!" Jin smirked, twirling her almost black hair. "One: the library was closed all day yesterday. Two: it's summer, so studying isn't exactly a must. Three: you're on the cover of _Bop, Tiger Beat, California Times-"_

"I am?" she asked in disbelief. There was no way she could've gotten herself into those magazines without doing something insane.

She thought hard for a moment, wondering what on earth she had done to earn such an honor-or in her case, earn such a disaster.

She blinked once, twice, thrice, wondering if what was going on was just another fantasy she was creating in her brain. She pinched herself hard on the arm, leaving a red blotch.

"DUH!" Jin rolled her eyes again. "Haven't you checked the newspaper yet, Kit Kat?"

She shook her head slowly, almost dazed.

Scoffing, Jin said to her companion, "Song, pull it out."

Song nodded once, remaining silent as she dug through her large hand-quilted bag and pulled out a torn piece of the newspaper, handing it to their baffled friend.

Katara gulped, preparing for what she was about to see. But truthfully, NOTHING could have prepared for what it.

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><p><strong>California Times<strong>

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><p><strong>Joo Dee's Gossip Where You're In The Know<strong>

**"Mystery Woman Lighting Our Writer's Fire"**

**Zuko X. Agni, writer of nineteen best-selling novels, six of which transformed into movies, seems to have a taste of coffee rather than water. At the premiere of the latest film "I Give You Forever" (see: pg 51), we see our young writer hanging around a particular fan-girl. It appeared they must have had a pretty heated convo, considering his intense blush when departing with his longtime girlfriend, Mai Black. It is unknown who this mystery woman is, but one thing is for sure: A love triangle is at foot. What does Mai think of this romance blossoming under the light of the flashing cameras? Will their relationship fall-**

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><p>Katara tore her eyes away from the paper in her hand, clutching it tightly in order to remain conscious. How dare that women-! She sealed her eyes shut and went through the memory in her head, running it over and over.<p>

Yes, he had blushed. But they didn't have a conversation! She just requested his stupid autograph and asked how he was doing. She looked up at her friends, narrowing her eyes, praying it was nothing but a big, fat joke.

Knowing them, they could have easily make something like that. Song looked dead serious while Jin, as usual, was smiling.

"It's true?" she asked.

"Sadly, yes," Jin said, smiling cheerfully. "But in the bright side, you're famous-"

"Grrrrr!" she groaned in exasperation and climbed over the counter, stumbling into the couch.

With these idiotic rumors run wild, the very last thing she wished to do was leave her family's inn, she decided upon keeping herself quarantined for goodness knows how long.

"You're being overdramatic, Kit Kat," said Jin, a frown forming on her face. "Maybe being famous isn't good, but the picture is blurry! You look like a blob-monster!"

Katara smiled a little, feeling a tad bit better. "Thanks, Jinny. Though I'm not sure if I should be offended or flattered..."

Song piped in. "Besides, Tara, Zuko is madly in love with Mai! He's admitted it millions of times. I guarantee he will put a stop to these...rumors before they get serious."

Katara sat up off the couch. "You're both right," she sighed.

"Besides, these types of rumors only last short periods of time. By next week there maybe another star on the buzz," Song added.

"And everyone will forget all about you!" Jin added.

Song nodded in agreement, gently patting Katara's shoulder.

"Yeah?" Katara's eyes glistened with hope.

"Totally," Song said, smiling sweetly

Suddenly, a sinister look fell across Jin's sly face, and that only meant one thing: trouble. "I would love to by a fly on the wall when Mai sees," she giggled, clutching her sides.

Katara stopped laughing, her mocha face paling into a pure white, almost ghostly. Oh, boy...she certainly didn't want to be under Mai Black's wrath, not now when life was turning a bright corner for her. She was getting extremely good grades, she had ended a bad romance without trouble, and she was happily living with her family for the summer.

The last thing she wanted was drama in her life. She sat back down on the couch and folded her hands in her lap, biting her lower lip. This was so not good...not good...at all...

"I'm dead."

"When Mai finds out? Heck, yeah, you are." Jin winked


	3. The Contest

**wolflover97: awwwww, thank you so much! :)**

**AnnaAza: THANK YOU! Personally, I think it's rude that the press keep messing with famous people. Isn't anything private? :)**

**Prepare for a world of pain, Zuzu...**

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><p>Chapter Three<p>

The Contest

When dealing with writer's block, Zuko was unable to sleep. Instead, he would toss and turn all night; eyes squeezed shut and his hands clenching the red blanket. He would take in calming breaths and attempt to clear his mind, but that was next to impossible. The girl he had seen at the premiere still lingered in his head.

So when he woke up the next morning, he had dark circles under his eyes and was exhausted. Nothing would have pleased him more than to have a nice, quiet morning, but sadly his so-called-girlfriend had other things in mind. It mostly consisted of torturing her boyfriend.

He sighed loudly as he sat at the circular glass kitchen table, rubbing his eyes in a desperate attempt to get his drowsiness out of him. His head was pounding. The coffee his girlfriend had prepared for him was burnt and smelled atrocious. But to relax his senses and awaken himself, he decided to try it. It resulted in turning his mouth into rubber.

Across from him, his girlfriend was typing on her large black laptop, grey eyes staring cryptically at the screen. Suddenly, a scraping sound was heard. He watched as her nails dug into the glass, and her eyes hardened.

"Bullshit." Mai sighed gloomily, turning the computer over so that he could see. "These people don't have a clue. People are saying that the film was atrocious. That it was like a totally different story! My uncle just changed a few little things..."

A little?

Her uncle had changed the names of his characters, the settings, the personalities, even the _murder_. Of course the fans were going to be furious, and he was furious, too, but kept it to himself. He nodded in agreement, knowing if he did so she would quit complaining.

Already he felt a headache coming on, and he rubbed his temples. Mai then stood and handed him the newspaper as she went behind him. "Here," she said. "Let me."

This was surprising, since she rarely did anything to ever actually help him. She walked around the table and placed her fingers on his temple, massaging. Truthfully it felt more like he was getting a haircut, what with her razor sharp nails.

But he remained still and hoped he wouldn't be bald by the end of it. Suddenly she stopped, her eyes staring down at the cover of the newspaper, her eyes widening and her nails beginning to dig into his skin. For a second he thought she was going to crush his skull, but she recoiled her hands away, as if disgusted by him. He followed her gaze

He could not believe it...

The picture showed him standing there with the mocha girl, smiling like a love-sick fool. And now he was paying the price for that fatal mistake...dearly... He had been playing with fire, now he was about to get burned into a crisp. He stood up from the chair and slowly turned to look at his angry girlfriend. Situations similar to this had happened before—a fan would get close for a picture and then it was a love affair.

Her body shook with rage, and he could've sworn she was glowing and levitating off the ground.

"Cheater." she accused dryly. "How dare you cheat on me. Who is she?"

"I didn't—" He stopped himself. How was he going to get himself out of this one? Nothing had happened except for a brief exchange of words and looks. Granted, he had paid more attention to her than any of the other fans, but what was the big deal? What could possibly give anyone the idea it was…love.

But Joo Dee apparently saw a story there. Like she did in almost every article she wrote about. She had gotten him into situations like these before, but it wasn't as bad and downplayed. But from the way she had written it out, it was as if she had written a Nicolas Sparks novel. The epic story of a writer and his brief conversation with a random fan. Poetry.

He made a mental note of trashing her in one of his books one day. If it was legal, he would do it. But right now he had to deal with a person even more frightening that Joo Dee; his levitating girlfriend. "Mai," he said, trying to make his voice sound kind. "You know I would never—"

"Save it." She pointed an accusing finger at him, just inches from his eyes. "I saw the way you were looking at her, you...you...cheater. Where did you meet? How did you meet? Who is she, _Agni_?"

Zuko stood tall, refusing to show any sign of weakness. "I don't know who she is. She's just some random bystander."

"Oh, yeah?" she snarled, pacing. "What about after the show! You went for a drive, and you were gone for ten minutes!"

He sighed mentally at her mind clouded with rage. She knew perfectly well where he was; it was the exact location he went every other week to clear his head. "I went to the beach."

"On the same night you meet 'mystery women'. Who is she? Where does she live? Tell me, Zuko."

"I don't know because we're not in a relationship!" he snapped, his patience withering. "You're my only."

The words felt disgusting as they poured out of his mouth, and he felt unclean from having used his vocals to utter them. But he remained casually, hiding his distaste behind a masterful poker face.

Mai didn't relax.

She stared lifelessly into his eyes, slowly analyzing his facial expression and tone of voice. It was as if she was staring into the very bowels of his soul, eyes piercing like her knives. For a while, no one moved, just standing there in complete silence. The only sound emerged from the world outside their apartment, but in their deepest thoughts, it was dim.

She broke the silence. "I'm going for a drive," she said, voice as lifeless as her eyes.

She grabbed her black leather purse which had been a gift from his sister and disappeared down the hall. He could hear her releasing long sighs of rage as she moved farther and farther away, and as the door clicked shut, all was quiet. As it always was.

He stood there for a long moment, staring at the floor.

Zuko ran a hand through his shaggy raven hair, shaking his head as he walked into their large, lavish living room. The walls were white. The wooden floor was a light beige. The couches were, like the walls, snow white. And the side tables were glass. The only thing of any real color was the black plasma TV and a few decorations like flowers and pictures.

The whole setting and single color choice hurt his eyes a little, but Mai had insisted, saying it was in the fashion. If he had it his way, everything would be dark. The entire blank scenario was not to his liking. And the only rooms he actually had say on was his own and his office.

He sat down and flipped through the channels in search of something—_anything_—to watch and get his mind off of his Mai.

Yes, she was angry now, but she would calm down after a drive to...well, technically he never knew where she was going. His first guess was that she was hanging out with Ty Lee (a friend from a university in LA), searching for advice. Perhaps a high-class bar. Or even visiting her parents. What else could it be? What else do girls with lifeless personalities do?

He froze when he came across some television show he forgot the name of.

The reporter, he saw grimly, was Patrick Brown. A man just as horrifying as Joo Dee. He was her male counterpart and helper at ruining the lives of all who crossed their path. Having previously worked on the news, the two gossips had decided to start their own news programming in which they discussed the hottest topics. It was a relatively boring show, but in his state of mind, it may help clear it.

Patrick was middle-aged with graying brown hair, which was so jelled it looked dangerous, and unnaturally tanned skin. He was attempting to make himself look twenty-years younger, but merely added to the age. His smile was dazzling, and would blind the camera.

He sat in a retro looking room, his legs crossed and his hands folded.

_After finishing a brief story about a man who was wave by his Pitbull, he said, "Now, onto more...interesting matters…" There had been boredom in his voice as he told the story, as if this was the most uninteresting news in the world. But he quickly brightened when he could finally get to the juicier news of the day._

_"Now—hey, wait a minute…where's my co-host!" He glanced around curiously, with false curiosity on his face._

_Joo Dee stepped onto the set and sat beside him, smiling robotically. "Hello, Patrick. How are you?" she asked, her voice far too cheerful. "Sorry I'm late…"_

_There was a brief exchange and a few jokes passed between the two. The audience laughed, but, like Joo Dee, it sounded robotic and slightly forced. As if their families were being threatened if they didn't react._

_ "Who here loves Zuko X. Agni?" Patrick burst out abruptly._

_The audience applauded insanely._

_Patrick laughed, the Botox keeping his face from showing any real emotion. "Anyone hear the latest gossip about him?"_

_Joo Dee raised her hand, smiling devilishly._

_"Ooooh! Looks like the little lady is at it again!"_

Zuko silently debated to end his misery and turn the TV off, but what Joo Dee said next kept his attention.

_"Well, as some of you may know," Joo Dee giggled, folding her hands in her lap. "I got to go to the latest movie premiere of Zuko X. Agni's book made into a movie"—she paused for the audience to applaud—"and witnessed something pretty interesting…"_

_The screen behind them lit up and revealed a photograph of said author standing in front of the woman. The audience gasped._

_"Said woman is unknown," Patrick said, fingertips touching. "But if she's as close to our dearly beloved author as we may think…well, chances are we'll get some pretty interesting news…" He trailed off again, leaving everyone to either cheer, gasp, or all the above._

_"Now, we'll be right back after these important messages!" Joo Dee said cheerfully, and she and Patrick waved into the camera._

He huffed irritably. When was everyone going to forget about it? Couldn't he have a single thing happen to him and not have it go viral? No. Because everyone wanted to know was went on in his so called perfect life.

He prayed that his irrelevant news wasn't occupying every other network and paper, and that the whole thing would blow over by the end of the week. It always did, he had to remind himself.

He glanced up at the commercial, prepared to turn off the TV again, when his heart completely stopped.

_"...contest is to be held," said a cheerful looking man on the screen. _

_He resembled Santa Claus, just minus the red. Instead, he wore a business suit. "In every convenience store, mall, or public place, there will be a booth where you will insert your information. And by the end of this week, we will announce a winner!" He walked in front of a store and smiled. "You may ask what the prize is. Well, I will tell you. A week with famous writer, Zuko X. Agni!"_

_Two passing pre-teens stepped forward and gasped; obviously acting. "No way!" they said in robotic union._

_"That's right! You'll give to live with him and experience what it's like to live as a celebrity—"_

_Click._

The screen went black.

Zuko set the remote on the glass side table, closed his eyes, and pressed his face in his palms. He tried to recall a time when Long Feng had honestly suggested such an absurd idea to him. Did the publisher truly forget the privacy rule? Or had he been so invested in the money he had completely forgotten? He recalled a similar situation that had happened to a fellow writer—the outcome of the situation was still traumatizing to even think about.

He had never agreed to this. And if it had been suggested he would have rejected the idea in favor of his own life. While he did love his fans, he would rather avoid spending a week with one of them. Especially if they were a rabid fan girl who wrote creepy fanfiction. Those were the scariest.

He stared at the blank television for a moment, and then rose to pace the length of the room.

Why didn't anyone speak to him about this before it went public? Goodness knows how many crazy fan-girls were shoving their information into the boxes at that very moment.

He could already picture it; and it was seriously horrifying.

He mentally cursed himself for reading _Misery_. While the novel itself was fascinating (like most Stephen King books), it was not one that should be read by an author. Especially if something similar was going to happen to him. He quickly made a mental note of not killing off any of his characters any time soon.

And what about Mai? What the hell was she going to think of this? How was she going to take this all in? She was livid as it was, and the last thing he wanted was to add gasoline to the fire. He heard the door click open.

"Hi."

He ignored her, keeping his gaze on the ground.

"Did you see the commercial?" she asked, sounding indifferent.

He lifted his eyes to meet hers; icy ambers with dim grey. He nodded grimly; letting her know exactly how he felt about it by his expressions and silent glare.

"Good." She exhaled and moved to sit on the couch. "Long Feng meant to text you, but I thought it would be easier if you saw it yourself."

He growled, but she ignored it.

"Anyway, Dad's having a family reunion, on a cruise down at the Caribbean. I'm going—"

"You're leaving me with a stalker?" he asked in disbelief. "And you're okay with this?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Yes. It was your publisher's idea, and I thought it was a nice thought."

Zuko could not believe what he was actually hearing. His girlfriend was officially going insane. "Aren't you mad—?"

"Yes, very," she said sternly. "But with a fan here with you, you're new girlfriend won't be able to come over without being seen. Besides…this might give you a chance to realize how much better my company is compared to someone of the lower class."

Things were certainly not going his way...not that they were before.

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><p><strong>Tsk, tsk, tsk. I do enjoy torturing young Zuzu. :) Well, I hope you all enjoyed, and thanks again for the sweet reviews! :D Any ideas for the name of Joo Dee and Patrick's show? :)<strong>


	4. A Fatal Mistake

**Kimberly T.: I know I'm kinda butchering Mai's character, but I'm just making her this way for the sake of the plot...:(**

**AnnaAza: "raging jealous banshees"...:D nice! That is the perfect description of Mai! XD And it is annoying, isn't it? I mean, M Night RUINED Avatar! (hopeful) But if he continues his ways maybe he's insert Zutara into the mix...**

**Another chapter, yay! :D Hope you like!**

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><p>Chapter Four<p>

Fatal Mistake

Going to a public place wasn't Katara's idea of a Friday. Truthfully, she just wanted to lay low for a while until the rumors cleared up, and she was afraid if she went to the Cali Mall she would get noticed. Not to mention the fact she hated shopping. But Hakoda thought she had been spending way too much time indoors and isolated when she should be hanging out with her friends. Once that was said, she had no choice but to get in the rusty truck.

"Where to first?" Jin asked eagerly, scanning the shops with delight and hunger, while her companions looked as if they had just entered the arena to the _Hunger Games_. But it was too late to turn back, and even if they could, Jin would just stop and drag them to the nearest store.

"The exit," Katara mumbled, pulling her lavender hoodie over her head. She was absolutely determined to blend in with the crowd and not draw attention to herself.

Jin rolled her eyes and yanked the hoodie back down. "Seriously, Kit Kat. Stop being so paranoid. Shop, have fun—"

"Shopping isn't my idea of fun."

"I have to agree," Song sighed softly, shifting from one foot to the other. A few people paused to eye her as if she was a circus clown. Her attire did anything but blend in with the crowd. Consisting of a jean skirt, lime green leggings, orange fishnet gloves, blue zipper earrings, a striped shirt, and white scarf to act as the belt. Despite being shy, her outfits always seemed to scream outgoing.

Jin rolled her eyes again and grabbed her two friends' hands, dragging them into the first store her emerald gaze fell upon: _Abercrombie and Filth_. She made a beeline toward the cute dresses while Song hung out in the shoes area.

Katara, however, just stood awkwardly in the center of the store. There were a lot people there, and goodness knows how many of them were aware of the rumors. Thankfully, none of them even acknowledged her presence. Not even those who worked there. Perhaps it was her casual girl-next-door attire or the obvious need to be alone that radiated off of her.

She glanced over her shoulder, wondering if she could just walk out of the store and hide out at Barnes and Noble for a while. Granted, that was the first place Jin would look for her, but at least she could find some new reading materiel.

No, she shook her head. If she was spotted there, people would assume she was searching for her "lover's" book. And then things would only get worse. She sighed, walking slowly into the purse area, pulling the hood back over her head.

_I am invisible...I am invisible..._she told herself in order to have a little comfort. But the only thing it provided was the sensation of a thousand eyes on her.

"Hi, sis!"

Crud! Looking up, she saw her older brother. He was standing by an emerald green bad that sat on a pedestal, the price tag waving like a flag and flashing the absurdly high price in the faces of all who admired.

What was her brother doing shopping here? And more importantly, why was he in the woman's section?

"Please tell me that's for Suki," she said. Her brother had lost enough dignity in the past; any less and he would be dishonored.

Sokka glared at her as if he had read her thoughts. "What? Can't a guy shop for purses?"

"No." She glanced around frantically, checking to see if anyone had noticed her during the brief exchange. Ugh, she could just picture the headline: _Mystery Women In A Love Triangle. _As if.

Sokka frowned at her behavior, and then turned his attention back to the bag. "I really do like it," he said almost to himself. "But—no, it's too expensive, I shouldn't."

Rolling her lovely blue eyes, Katara said, "Alright, then don't."

Sulking, Sokka looked like he was about to walk off, but then his happy look flashed across his face again. "You know what? I'm gonna get it."

Most boys would be saving up their money to buy a car. But not her brother. No, he used it to buy purses from Abercrombie and Filtch.

"Good for you, Sok."

Katara turned, not wanting to be around her oddball brother any longer. She went through the large store in search of her friends, ignoring the women who asked if she needed assistance. There was no way she was going to talk to them; they may have read the column. And besides, the clothes were way out of her budget.

Heck, just one shoe was worth the entire inn. It didn't take long to find them, since Jin's girlish giggles could be heard across the ocean. The two girls were standing by a booth where a bored looking girl sat.

"What's this?" she asked.

"You don't _know_?" Jin asked in disbelief. "Girl, haven't you been watching the news?"

She shook her head. She had been too afraid, afraid to see what Joo Dee may have cooked up in her kitchen of evil.

"They're holding a contest," Jin explained. "You write down your info, put it in the box, and this Monday they announce the winner." She sighed dreamily. "The prize is you get to spend an entire week with Zuko X. Agni!"

Katara blanched. "Wait-_the_ Zuko Agni?"

"Is there any other kind?" she asked, smirking. "I'm gonna give it a whirl."

Katara blinked, confused. "You want to spend a week with Zuko?"

"DUH!" Jin giggled. "He's a total hottie."

Song rolled her hazel eyes, giggling. "Gee, Jinny, I didn't know you were such a fan."

"Of his writing, not really. Of his shirtless picture, heck, yeah." Jin turned to the girl behind the booth, who was filing her nails. "Excuse me? Can I have an application?"

The girl lifted her gaze and she smirked. She appeared to be in her twenties, with shiny black hair, misty eyes, and heavy amounts of dark makeup. Her attire consisted of combat boots, black torn up skinny jeans, and a black shirt. Her nametag read _Hi, I'm June_. "Sure." She lifted a piece of paper and handed it to her.

Jin excitedly wrote out her information and then handed it back to June. "Your turn, girls."

"Excuse me?" both girls said.

"You know the law of our friendship," Jin reasoned. "If one girl does it, the rest do it."

Katara mentally cursed herself for ever agreeing that that stupid rule. But it had seemed sensible back in junior high school, but now it seemed childish and stupid. But what was done was done. She had no choice now, but she would still fight.

"But what about the rumors?" she hissed.

"Think about it," Jin said calmly, ignoring her friend's glare. "There are booths just like this all over the country and possibly over a thousand people have signed up. What are the odds one of us will win?"

"Unlikely," June said calmly. "About eight girls have already signed up."

"See? Your odds are very steep," Song said sweetly. "I guess it would be fun to try."

Katara watched in disbelief as the sensible one of their small group was actually doing it. "What if I win? The rumors will burn like fire on gasoline."

Jin shrugged casually, handing her a piece of paper. "Granted. But think, Kit Kat! Do something reckless at least once in your life."

Katara considered this carefully. On one hand, Jin had a point; there was a very slim chance she would actually win. But on the other hand, if she _did_ happen to win her life would be over. A week with Zuko. Joo Dee would gobble that story up like her brother at Friday's.

Joo Dee was like Rita Skeeter from _Harry Potter; _cruel and ruthless.

Things would go very badly if she won...

She sighed. Jin would just continue to pester her until she did do it, and the code was law. She was trapped in a corner with no way of escaping. Might as well give in to the demands and be done with it. "Fine," she grumbled, and cursed when she saw Jin's triumphant smile.

**Name:** Katara Kalan

**Age: **21

**Sex: **Female

**Phone Number:** 1-786-653-736

"I hate you," Katara said, handing the application to June, who had started texting.

"You'll thank me one day, Kit Kat," Jin said, winking.

Katara doubted that. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie and crossed her fingers, praying that she hadn't just made a fatal mistake.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed! :)<strong>


	5. It Was Time

**AnnaAza: haha! She certainly would love to though! XD**

**miss quirky bookworm: Pregnant? I can assure you, Zuko hasn't taken her virginity (he's too noble)! I will reveal why he's stuck with her later in the story. ;)**

**SnoopyGirl213: Thank you! lol you're Jin? :) Cool!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. If I did, Zuko would've gotten together with Katara. But it is the property of Bryan and Mike.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Five<p>

It Was Time

Zuko had gotten up early so he could say goodbye to his girlfriend. He sat at the kitchen table, wearing his red robe, and stared down at the cup of coffee in his hand, studying the fine color. It reminded him of her hair, so soft and... He shook his head. No. He wouldn't let her into his head, not with the rumors just dying down.

Goodness knows how much she hated him now, since he practically ruined her private life. If it had been him, he probably would have gone on complete strike. He just hoped that she wasn't too mad at him. Sighing heavily, he felt a wave of nervousness rush over him at the thought of having some stalker living in his home for a _week_.

They were going to announce the winner today, and he felt as nervous as the Wicked Witch crossing the ocean in a row-boat that had a leak. Why did his girlfriend even agree to it? Didn't she think he was capable of making his own decisions?

Mai entered the kitchen, wearing black jeans, a burgundy blouse, and a black jacket, dragging a (surprisingly) black suitcase behind her. "I'm going now," she said.

Zuko stood up and walked her to the door, an arm over her shoulder. "Bye, babe," he said.

She opened the door and looked up at him and pecked his lips before hastily walking out. He shut the door and walked slowly into the living room, almost shuffling in a zombielike state. He sat down slowly and turned on the television.

Maybe they were announcing the winners now. He had forgotten the exact time, so he would just wait it out. But he did know that it would be announced on Joo Dee and Patrick's show. Why? Because why not add to the already mind-blowing torture.

However, he did want to know. Just so he could get it over with and have it not hanging over his head for the rest of the day. He crossed his fingers, hoping it was not a guy, or a Annie-type person. Oh, good gosh, the horror... He shook it off. _Relax...they won't pick someone creepy..._

_He flipped through the channels until he came across the Santa Claus guy, who sat between Joo Dee and Patrick. All three had eerily large smiles on their faces. They were on the set. And on the man's lap was a large wooden box. He nodded kindly at the viewers. "Good morning, California," he said cheerfully. "What a lovely day it is today!"_

_Applause._

Zuko glanced out the window; it was still raining. Thunder roaring and lightning flashing.

_"Now, I know why you are all here on this fine day!" he gestured toward the window in the room; it was sunny. "We are to announce the winners of the _Spend a Week with Zuko X. Agni Contest_!"_

_Joo Dee giggled hysterically. "This is so exciting!"_

_Applause._

_"Shh!" Patrick didn't appear invested in the slightest._

Zuko's stomach did summersaults, sweat falling from his brow.

_The man opened the box up and dug around inside, still smiling at the camera. "Ah, here we are," he said, unfolding a piece of paper. "The winner is..."_

Zuko's heart began to beat wildly in his chest, his marble skin glistening with sweat. His skin tone went a few shades paler into the complexion of death. It felt as if time had paused, and it felt like an eternity until the old man would finally utter the name of the winner.

His heart stopped mid-beat, and he froze.

It was time.

* * *

><p><strong>I forgot to mention before...one of the things I changed about the story is that Mai's father did not direct the film. Why did I change? Well, you'll found it later. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. So sorry it's short. :(<strong>


	6. Life Is Over

**next chapter...hope you enjoy...**

* * *

><p>Chapter Six<p>

Life Is Over

"KIT KAT! HURRY UP!" Jin said frantically, bursting into the inn.

"What?" Katara asked, confused to see Jin and Song at the inn so early. She was a little embarrassed since she was still wearing her pajamas: dark blue shorts and a Hello Kitty shirt three sizes too large. Yes, she still liked Hello Kitty. Is there anything wrong with that?

"C'mon!"

Jin grabbed her friend's hand and ushered her into the private Kalan living room. A while ago, Hakoda had converted the storage room into a private area just for the family, even adding a window. Song flipped through the channels in haste, like she had a time limit. Her hair was frazzled from the heat and early hour, assuming its natural thickness.

"There! There!" Jin said, seating Katara down.

_The studio where they filmed Joo Dee and Patrick's television show appeared on the screen. An old man sat between them on the couch, holding a piece of paper in his hand and a menacing smile on his face. As if any second he would just snap and go on a killing spree. "And the winner is..." He looked down and then up again, pausing dramatically so suspense could build up in the studio. _

_Joo Dee was bouncing in her seat, her grin widening, while Patrick kept cool. The old man looked at them both, the crowd, the crew members, and then back at the camera. He stared for a very long minute, and then, raising his voice into a high octave, he cried out._

_"KATARA KALAN!"_

"What?" the girls screeched.

The old man laughed, and Katara hoped that this was all some sort of sick, twisted joke. And that the real winner would be announced. It couldn't be her. There were girls across the country who had signed up! The odds shouldn't have been in her favor. She should have lost like the others.

Jin was raising her eyebrows at the screen; it was obvious the fact she didn't win had put a dent in her ego. But she didn't rely on that note for too long, for in a matter of moments, she had shot up to her feet and squealed like she had been the one to win the contest, not her friend. Song had the decency to keep quiet, and patted Katara's shoulder in a feeble attempt to comfort her.

Katara stared blankly at the TV, eyes wide and unblinking, mouth gaped like a fish. The old man hadn't burst into more laughter and stated it was a joke. He merely cracked a few more jokes with Joo Dee and Patrick. So it was true. _I won_.

_Impossible!_

How could she have won over hundreds of others? It was entirely mental. She gulped. What if Joo Dee and dug through the names before the show began and specially implanted—no, that's just crazy. She would have no way of knowing what her name was. But either way, fate and destiny had her way with her in the end. Whether rigged by taking a guess or bad luck, she was going to be with Zuko X. Agni for a week.

Her hands clenched and her face blanched into a papery color, her whole body shaking.

_"Now, what you win, if you are watching, Katara Kalan!" said the man, but his voice was now distant in her head. "A week with Zuko X. Agni!"_

_Applause…_

Katara shivered and felt nausea fall over her, but her stomach kept churning because she hadn't had any breakfast. Her stomach was empty and sore, her head felt light like she was going to faint, and her chest was tightening. It was as if someone was strangling her from the inside.

Without realizing it, she had started to cry. Tears ran down her face, dripping on her hands but she paid them no mind, just staring in horror.

This could not be happening to her. The rumors were just starting to die out! Once people realized that she was the infamous mystery woman, everything would go downhill. They would accuse her of having the contest rigged so that she could win to be with her 'lover'…well, now the rumors going to start right back up again and ruin her life. A life that was so over.

"Congratulations, Kit Kat," Jin said happily, clapping her hands. "You get to spend a week with Zuko!" She squealed again, and then her voice turned smoother, suggestive. "_And_ I heard Mai is out of town. You've got him all to yourself..."

Katara's face turned bright red. "This is your fault!" she growled, standing up. "If I hadn't listened to you—"

"Maybe I would've won," Jin said, ignoring her friend's tone. "Come on, Kit Kat—"

"Don't call me Kit Kat," she snarled, not in the mood for Jin's stupid nicknames. She released a long breath, followed by the foulest curse word she could think of.

Jin, sensing danger, turned toward her backup. "Sing-Along-Song, a little help please."

Song raised her eyebrows, slowly considering which route to take. "Well...Tara, maybe this is a blessing in disguise." She placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "Kind of like my first day at working at my grandpa's pub. Give it a chance. And if things go badly—"

"You can hand him to me," Jin said, raising her eyebrows suggestively in an attempt to cheer Katara up. "I'll take very _good_ care of him..."

"Okay, ew," Katara said, disgusted by the mental image that had entered her brain. It was one of the many Jin adored to implant and watch as they tortured her."Thank you for those comforting words of motivation, Jinny."

"Hey, what are friends for," Jin said happily, sitting down next to them. "Group hug!"

Katara was suddenly squeezed the daylights out of by her two besties, and felt her lungs being crushed. _"Can't...breathe...help..."_

"Sorry," Song said, blushing.

Jin stood back up, placed both hands on her hips, and said seriously, "Okay, Kit Kat, here's the deal. Your life is _not_ over, so stop being a drama-queen." Katara opened her mouth to protest but Jin went on. "People won't read about you because the spotlight is entirely on some sort of celebrity right now. So you're safe. Just don't do anything stupid while with the sexy man, 'kay?"

Katara blinked. "I thought you wanted me to be crazy," she teased.

Jin rolled her eyes. "Granted. But don't do something that'll make Joo Dee as excited as a chipmunk on caffeine. If you must, however, do it in private."

"EW!" Katara shook the mental image out of her mind again and blushed fiercely. "Jin, stop that!"

"She can't help it," Song said, adjusting her blouse. "She's as romantic as a Nicolas Sparks novel."

"And proud to be!" Jin did the peace sign and winked. "Now, how should we tell your dad...?"

Katara's eyes widened. "Holy crap," she breathed. "My life _is_ over..."


	7. If You Can

**ImmortalSymphony: I'm glad you like it! Yeah, I know Mai is OOC, it's just I wanted to give her some personality for the sake of the plot. Besides, she's like a zombie in the TV show! :P You're sick? I hope you get well soon! :)**

**ImmortalSymphony: Awwww, thank you so much! (blush)**

**ImmortalSymphony: Yes, she is. O_o. **

**ImmortalSymphony: Maybe...O_O...okay, he did by a handbag! :P And thank you for clicking it! :D You're so sweet!**

**ImmortalSymphony: Kick Mai out of the story...(sighs dreamily) Thank you so much for another great review!**

**ImmortalSymphony: I don't know, maybe hanging out with a stalker creepo could be fun! XP LOL! JK! I hope you get better soon! TTFN! :)**

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven<p>

If You Can

_"Y__ou have two days to get ready," said the older man. "And then Zuko X. Agni's agent shall__ drive you into paradise—"_

Zuko turned off the TV…and fell silent. The wind stopped howling, the rain stopped tapping, and the room was consumed by silence. He stared into space, unsure of what to think and do, too nervous to even think straight. His mind, which usually moved swiftly and smoothly, crashed.

Everything was out of order, chaotic. And he could hardly believe the events that were about to take over his life. And Mai wouldn't be here to ensure he didn't get tied to a bed and have his ankles broken. But worst of all…he remembered that name...and that scared him. Not the name, but who it belonged to.

The girl from the premiere.

But then again, she wasn't the only person in the world with the name Katara. He was sure there were thousands of others girls out there with her same name, but something else triggered his paranoia. When he had been signing that girl's book, it said _Katara L. K., _and the winner's name was Katara Kalan.

What are the odds? He thought hard. There must've been others, others who had the same name. Surely in some parts of the world Katara is a common name. No. He shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck, cold sweat running down his warm flesh.

More than anything, he wished Iroh, his uncle, were there to help him. He would know how to handle the situation. Back when Zuko was a teenager living with his CEO father, Ozai Rex Agni, his uncle had been around all the time, taking on the father role his real father couldn't manage.

Ozai had rarely spent a single moment with his son. It was as if he was nothing but a speck of dusts on his new leather black shoes. However, during large public occasions, he would proudly wrap his arms around his children as if he actually cared for them. Well, technically he did care for Zuko's younger sister.

His sister was a prodigy. She knew how to worm her way into the hearts of all who laid eyes on her, as well as their minds. She could manipulate crowd to her advantage. Her reputation was flawless. She was everything a rich and famous man could have hoped for in a daughter. Zuko, however, was seen as a failure.

_"Your sister was born lucky," _Ozai once told him after an unsuccessful business meeting, _"and you were lucky to be born."_

He had grown up in a bitter childhood, forced to mature at far too young an age. While his father showered his sister with praise and adoration, he received his attention from his mother. He remembered every detail about her—her warm smile, gentle eyes, and the way she would sing him to sleep when he was afraid. She gave him the love and confidence he needed to survive the life of the Agni family. During public events, he would often stay close to her, for she supplied with him strength.

And when he doubted himself, her firm words would grasp him back and he would face the problem head on. _"That's who you are, Zuko. Someone who keeps fighting even though it's hard."_

He was a fighter. But he was weak.

As demonstrated during the darkest hour of the Agni family, a day that haunted his dreams and senses. He refused to let the thought into his mind, preferring to go a different direction.

After he had graduated high school, his father told him he wanted him out of the house in less than a month. Ozai was glad to finally rid himself the parasite excuse for a son, and Zuko was just as gleeful to escape. He was given a small portion of money, not enough to really live off of. So, for the time being, he would live with his uncle.

So for about six months, he lived with him and helped around his teashop. Since he had no more duties as a rich man's son and more time on his hands, Zuko took up his childhood passion: writing. I a matter of months, he had finished the draft to his first novel ("Empty Words"), and sent it to get published.

After twenty-five rejections, he was finally accepted, and able to purchase his own apartment in the city.

His uncle realized his presence was no longer necessary, and that his nephew could carry on without any assistance. So he moved away to China where he now owned his teashop, Jasmine Dragon. It was obvious he was content in his new lifestyle, but every now and again, the young writer would feel extremely guilty, blaming himself for Uncle's departure.

It wasn't that Iroh never visited—he did every Christmas and Thanksgiving—but it still felt empty not having him around as much anymore.

He wished he was here, to help him through this horrifying contest. He would know what to do and share his wisdom with his nephew.

Zuko shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. He was broken through his trembling thoughts when he heard his iPhone buzz. For some reason the noise irritated him and placed him in an even more foul mood.

"What?" he barked as he answered it.

"It's Long Feng."

Zuko sighed. It was his publisher, the cause of what was going on. "Listen, I didn't agree—"

"I am well aware, Mr. Agni," Long Feng said formally, and there was a clicking noise in the background. "But just think about it. This shall heighten your fame; make you even more loved by the fans."

Zuko seriously wished the fans wouldn't love him more. Last week, a pack of fan-girls had broken down his door and attempted to get to him. Thankfully, he managed to get into his office and call the cops before they could get to him.

"But you should have spoken to me about it," he growled. "Someone who I don't even know is going to live with me!"

He could almost see Long Feng shrugging. "Granted," he said casually. "But again, just imagine how excited this fan will be—"

"When she ties me to the bed, either breaks or cuts off my ankle, and forces me to write something?"

"You watch too many horror movies, Zuko," Long Feng said sternly. "Stick with something...cheerful."

Zuko huffed, wishing his publisher would just hang up and leave him to his sulking. So he would just cut the small talk and go straight to business."What do you want, Long Feng?"

"To inform you of two things. One: your deadline is two weeks, and you haven't even gotten the first page done. Second: I am bringing the girl at your apartment at exactly three-thirty pm, in two days."

Zuko growled. The writer's block had been ruthless the past few months, and he hadn't been able to get a single word on the blank page before him. He did the usual routine—went for walks, hung out with friends, and so on—but nothing was helping him recover. It had already been announced, however, it was going to be about love and drama.

Something that would appeal to his female fans. Maybe he should've been working on it, but he was blocked. No matter how hard he searched his brain, no matter what he did, no matter how many walks he took, nothing helped. Just complete blackness. An empty, bottomless pit, if you will.

He cleared his throat. "Forgive me—I'm currently blocked." He expected what his publisher would say next...

"Well, get unblocked, then," Long Feng snapped. "Two weeks. Three-thirty pm." The line went dead.

Zuko glared into nothing, throwing the phone across the room. Thankfully it landed on a couch so it didn't break, but this act didn't help him feel better. He felt cornered. As if he was in a small room that was only getting tighter with each passing second.

He leaned against the wall, wondering what he could possibly do.

He could send this person away, but what would that say about him? "Zuko X. Agni Hates Fans, Craves Power Only", by Joo Dee. Shuddering despite the heat, he looked back at the phone and realized there was only one person who could help him now.

He slowly walked across the room, not believing what he was doing. He had never called this person up before for advice, and nor did he like to. It wasn't Iroh, or any of his friends. It was a rarity if he ever contacted said person—but he figured that any help is enough.

And if all else fails, he would contact Iroh.

He hesitated as he dialed the number.

"Hello?" a bored voice asked after the first ring.

"It's me," said Zuko, feeling awkward.

He could hear the smile in the voice. "Well, hello. What can I do for you?"

He gulped. "I'm sure you've heard the news by now."

"Oui. You're in a heap of trouble. Oh, by the way, I read your recent book _I Die, You Die_ and I must say, it's such a drag. You're losing your personal touch, Zuzu."

Zuko tensed; his whole body clenching and his mind pounding. "Perhaps I am."

She always gave him little jabs like that, like prodding a lion. And it always burned him worse than his scar, like a grenade in the head. He sucked in a sharp breath, refusing to give her the satisfaction. "Listen, I need girl advice."

"Mai getting to you already?"

_Hell yes. _"It's not Mai, Azula," he almost growled. "It's...well…"

"The girl you're going to spend a week with?" Azula asked, and he heard the sound of people chatting in a foreign tongue in the background, and her heels clicking. "Naturally. Just be glad it wasn't a boy, or that girl Raquel from high school. She was in love with you..."

Zuko shivered. Raquel was actually worse than Annie. Going as far as to hack into his _FaceBook_ account and friending her. Which was why he deleted his account. And to his annoyance and horror, she would sneak into his bedroom and post letters there like _I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE _and _I WATCH YOU SLEEP_. So the thought of actually spending a week with her made the thought of spending a week with this Katara Kalan girl sound heavenly.

"In love' aren't the words I would use," he said.

Azula scoffed. "Okay, back to the problem at hand: the girl. Be nice, blah blah blah, treat her kindly, blah blah, pose for pictures—"

"Enough blahs please."

"Fine. Basically just be charming," she said, and he could hear the smirk in her voice. "If you can."

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Avatar. <strong>Sorry if his chapter was boring. I just wanted to show you guys a teeny-tiny bit of Zuzu's back-story, and to tell you what happened to Iroh. And Azula. And who his publisher was. Little things like that. Next chapter will be awkward.<strong>**


	8. A Family Matter To Handle

**ImmortalSymphony: haha! I'm glad you liked it! I hope you feel better soon!**

**miss quirky brookworm: Yes, yes that girl does...the joke is, my name is Raquel-please know I would NEVER hack into anything, nor am I a creepy stalker. I just wanted to have a little inside joke hidden in there...:)**

**AnnaAza: Read and find out. ;D I liked the idea of Long Feng having some sort of control over Zuzu, since he is who he is. :)**

**Medusa': Nope, not at all! :D AND THANKX!**

**music909: Thanks! Yeah, I wanted to reveal a little, itty, bitty peace of Zuzu's past for you guys. :)**

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight<p>

A Family Matter To Handle

Katara, Jin, and Song all poked through heads into the office of the owner of the inn, and father to Katara, watching him intently. He was pacing, with some papers in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. His brow was furrowed.

Katara frowned, looking at her friends for support. This was not going to be an easy fact, since Hakoda was very overprotective, actually taking her ex boyfriend Jet (Jin's older brother) and throwing him into the dumpster after trying something.

So just imagine how he would handle how his twenty-one year old perfect daughter was going to live with a world famous writer for a week, the very same one she had been the papers with. Thankfully he had understood, with the press and all. But how the heck was she supposed to explain this?

_Hey, Dad, guess what? I signed up for a contest to spend a week with Zuko X. Agni, and you know what, I WON! BYE!_

No, that was so not she was going to say.

"Let's go tell my dad," she breathed, losing her voice.

Jin rolled her eyes. "Okay, first: he's _your _dad. Second: _you _signed-"

"Only because you made me," she hissed.

Jin shrugged.

Surprisingly she didn't snap back some comment, since she liked having the upper-hand on things, especially conversations. Katara furrowed her brow together, watching her father chug down his coffee in one large, loud gulp and place the mug down back on the desk, glaring at the papers in hand, unknowing he was being watched by a group of girls.

Katara tried to get her body to move, but it was like she had been glued to the spot. She racked her brains, searching for anything she could say to her father and have him understand. But so far no such luck.

She crossed her fingers and nibbled on her lower lip, summoning all her courage. It wasn't that Hakoda was cruel, it was just he was overprotective.

Goodness knows how many spies he would send to watch them, if he let her go at all. _Why did I ever sign up for this stupid contest? _She mentally cursed herself over and over.

There had to be a way to get out of this without issues...

"What are you doing?" a voice snapped.

Katara turned her head and choked on the sharp breath she had sucked in to hold back laughter. Her brother stood there. Sokka had the purse he had purchased from the store (at first she had assumed he was joking), and he had a matching outfit to go with it. He wore brown shorts, a green jersey, and a baseball cap turned to the side.

If he thought wearing his hat like that made him look more "gangster", he was seriously insane. No, worse than insane. He was strait-jacket insane. Song and Jin looked over and both their eyes widened at the sight before them.

While Song was keeping to their stealth-mode, a hand over her mouth to mask the wild giggles, Jin was literally ROTFLOL, clutching her ribs for support against the pain.

Sokka looked at them in confusion, but soon realized exactly what they were laughing at. He raised eyebrow and did the famous "annoyed" look. He placed both hands on his hips and opened his mouth to say a snarky comment, but his voice was lost. So he just stood there, frozen in his state. This, of course, made Jin laugh even harder.

"Shhh!" Song hissed. "Quiet, Jinny! Before he hears!"

"Before I hear what?" Hakoda asked, coming to inspect the doings of the evil teenagers.

Katara tried to stutter out an answer, but thankfully his gaze was on Jin. She was far too engaged in her laughter to manage out any words, so she weakly pointed a finger at the twenty-two year old dressed like a gay-leprechaun-gangster.

His eyes widened and twitched, but he cleared his throat and blinked, trying to calm himself down. "Son...why are you dressed like that? Why do you have a handbag?"

Sokka's eyes tightened and he swung his arms in the air to show his point. "IT IS NOT A HANDBAG IT IS A _MAN_BAG!"

"What's the difference?" Jin asked, wiping tears out of her eyes.

His eyes widened, like he couldn't believe Jin didn't know the difference between a handbag and a _man_bag. Like it was obvious. His jaw fell and he let his arms droop like noodles, and she slouched forward so that he now looked like a gay-leprechaun-gangster-_zombie_.

Hakoda turned away from weird, now hybrid, son and to his respectable daughter. "Something wrong, Katara?"

She gulped hard and looked at her friends for support. But, despite the fact Jin was the cause; she had to take responsibility for not listening to her conscience. Taking in a small breath she managed. "I need to talk to you about...stuff."

His eyes widened slightly. He had heard her say that before, and those moments were ones he wished never to relive. Ever. Not in a million years. All her questions were ones a mother should have answered, but seeing as how there wasn't one in the picture anymore, he was her first target. "Ooh-kay," he said warily.

Katara looked back over her shoulder and saw Song giving her thumbs up while Jin was giving Sokka fashion advice. To calm herself down, Katara studied her father's office carefully. The carpet, once white, was now a beige-creamy color (due to pets, messy guests, and children), but it still felt soft. The walls were as grey as the moon as turned a silver color when the fireplace was lit.

A desk sat in the corner, close to the fireplace, with two chairs in front of it for guests. And on the other wall there was a fish tank, a single sofa with a quilt over it, handmade by _her_.

And there was a bookshelf with all the latest books about anything that lives in the ocean. There were pictures on the wall of family, loved ones, pets, and places they had traveled. But her favorite of the pictures sat on his desk.

It showed a woman with high cheekbones, crystal clear blue eyes, and dark brown hair that fell in lairs down her shoulder. A baby was in her arms, with similar, yet larger, eyes. Katara wished more than life itself she could leap into that picture and hug the women in a tight embrace, never to let go.

But dreams such as those never happened. Only at night when asleep. Nervously, Katara sat across from him and bit her lower lip.

It was now she had to tell him. Or...did she? Ideas swarmed in her head like a tornado, and it almost _hurt._ Would he notice her absence for a week...? DUH! Okay, so basically all he needs to know is where she'll be.

But...actually _lie_ to her own father, the man who raised her? The thought was sickening and felt like acid in the pit of her stomach. But what else could she do? She furrowed her brow in thought. On one hand, she wanted to go live with him for a week and lie to her father, but on the other hand she wanted to get out of it.

The battle went on in her brain as he father stared at her in confusion, waiting for her to speak. She opened her mouth to inform him of what was really going on, but something else slipped out before she could stop it. "I'm staying with the girls for a week." She mentally slapped herself. Oh, crud.

Hakoda frowned. "Why? Isn't your room big enough?"

No turning back now, so might as well go with the lie. "It's not that, Dad," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I'm just taking up room-"

"You know that's not true," Hakoda said, shaking his head and eyes narrowing. "We love having you, Katara."

She inhaled sharply. "I know, Dad. I...well..."

"You spend the entire school year with your friends," Hakoda said, blinking in confusion. "And only three months with us."

Snap. Katara cursed herself. She should have thought this through! She exhaled and tried to relax in a feeble attempt to appear casual. "Well..." She glanced over her shoulder and saw Song and Jin watching nervously with fingers crossed. An idea popped into her brain, and it might just work. "Jin just had her heart broken and she needs all the support she can get," she blurted out.

Hakoda's raised his eyebrows. "Oh. That changes things..."

She mentally sighed with relief.

"Come here for a minute, Jin!" Hakoda called.

Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Katara crossed her fingers beneath the table, praying that her friend overheard what she had said. Jin, obviously startled, walked over with a large smile on her face, looking almost hopeful. She leaned against the desk and said casually, "Wazzup, Mr. Kalan?"

_Stop smiling. _Katara wanted to shout. _Look sullen…please!_

"You seem quite happy for a girl who had her heart broken," Hakoda said.

Jin snickered. "But I—"

Katara pinched her arm hard, leaving a red mark.

"OUCH!" Jin yelped, glaring down at her friend, and then seemed to catch onto what was going on. "I mean, OUCH MY ACHING HEART!" She placed her hands over her heart and said dramatically, "He hurt my very heart! TOSSED IT IN THE TRASH!" She buried her face in her hands and wept. "I don't feel anything anymore! My life is pathetic and worthless…" she slumped to the floor. "I don't want to live anymore!"

_Don't overdo it, Jin. _"See, Daddy?" Katara said, patting Jin's back. "She needs support."

"For a week?"

Jin sniffed. "Yes! I have a week-long depression stage! Day one: cry! Day two: eat! Day three-"

"Okay!" Hakoda stood up, rolling his eyes. "You are free to go."

**{*}{*}{*}**

"Kit Kat, you're such a bad girl now," Jin said, smirking.

Katara ignored her, feeling very guilty by what she had just did. She _lied_ to her own father. She shook her head as she stuffed some clothes into her sky blue suitcase with silver trim, little stickers all over it. Jin sat in her moon-chair by the large window that overlooked the lake while Song sat on the lush white carpet.

The walls was sky blue, and as was practically everything else in her room. It was her obsession. Seashells were on the side table with a stuffed dolphin on the bed, with a canopy of silver hanging over. Posters of animals and boys were on the wall, with a pile of books on the side table. Many of which had been read at least six times that year.

"Ignore her, Tara," Song said gently.

"That I am."

Katara zipped the bag and sighed, studying every fine feature of her bedroom and couldn't help but wonder what her room would be like at the Agni house.

Oh, goodness. Another worrying thought prowled her mind, the thought of seeing him the morning in his pajamas, and he seeing her. She shuddered and hugged herself, plopping down on the bed in a vampire like way. The guilt gave her a headache, and she craved nothing more than to tell the truth.

"If you are having second thoughts, Kitty Kat," Jin said. "I'll take your place."

Katara shook out another image. "Please stop that, Jin." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "At least that family matter is out of the way."

Jin snickered. "And who knows, maybe by the end of the week Hakoda will have some grand kiddies."

Her eyes snapped open in horror and she blanched.

Jin, of course, laughed while Song shook her head in disapproval.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>PHEW! I hope you guys liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it (I luv writing Sokka craziness XD )! ttfn<strong>**


	9. The Siren Returns

**miss quirky bookworm: HAHAHAH! XD No, Sokka IS NOT gay, he's just craaaazy (I very much enjoy writing crazy things, and Sokka gives me an excuse :P). Hakoda is a sucker when it comes to his little girl! LOLOLOLOLOL!**

**Read this, if you dare...**

**Disclaimer: (sighs) i do not own Avatar...**

* * *

><p>Chapter Nine<p>

The Siren Returns

Zuko was pacing, back and forth across the room, entering and re-entering the kitchen and living at a fast pace.

The act made his head spin but he paid it no mind; he had far more pressing subjects to deal with. Today, for example. Today was the Katara Kalan would come and live with him in his own home, sleeping across the hall from him and eating together like a couple.

He gulped hard, too paranoid to comprehend the very idea. When faced with complex situations, he would try to find the good, the candlelight in the dark, if you will. But right now, someone had just blown out his only hope.

Truthfully, he was doomed. And he certainly knew it. Despite all of this, he felt a little anxious. A different anxious than what he had been feeling earlier. He was...excited to find out if this girl was the one at the premiere, the girl who he had been drawn to. Throwing himself into the ocean of the young siren.

What if it was her? Joo Dee would devour that story fiercely; savoring every taste like it was her last meal alive. And she wouldn't eat it all at once, she would save it. And Mai's anger would blaze out of control, no doubt. He had finally gotten her to cool down the day before, and the last thing he needed was for her to be furious with him again.

He froze in mid-step, staring aimlessly out the window. As a fearsome storm brewed in his head, the outside was crystal clear and sunny. Only a few clouds lingered in the sky, and the sun glowed brilliantly above. California was alive and cheerful, everything the young writer wasn't.

He was so sour he had dressed himself all in black like he was attending a funeral.

His own…

His long sleeved shirt was pulled up to the elbows, revealing his muscular arms that made all women who stared drool and gush over him. Once at Burger King, a girl "accidentally" tripped into his arms. He shook his head, a low growl coming from his throat that resembled a lion. _Be charming_, his sister had suggested. How could he when he was in this state of mind?

He closed his eyes and inhaled and exhaled, releasing negative energy and bringing in positive. Iroh had taught him this trick, and always commented "tea cures everything, my nephew".

One time, I had this really terrible crash on my, ahem, backside..." Sometimes he really missed his uncle, but then he remembered those moments, which ruined the whole mood.

More than once, he had thought about calling him up, requesting assistance, but realized that his uncle would see it as an opportunity to get rid of Mai. He had never been fond of his nephew's high school girlfriend, claiming she was a bad influence on him and that she lacked a very important thing in a human being: a personality. She rarely smiled, and when she did it was fake.

She only chuckled darkly. And she always had that bored, lifeless tone. These were the reasons Iroh would suggest he leave her, find someone who could really love him. If it were that easy he would've done it a long time ago. But things weren't as easy as that, not when he was dating her. And that thought was eating him alive...slowly...

The phone rang and he answered right away, heart pounding. Was it Long Feng reporting that this Katara Kalan couldn't come and that the contest was canceled?

"Hi, Zuko," a dry voice said.

"Mai..."

Wonderful.

"You sound disappointed," she said, and he was unsure of what she was feeling since her voice sounded the same. He could hear music playing and the sound of the ocean, and people laughing. Sounded like things were fun. But from they she spoke, it was like she was in the Savannah without water. "I'm calling to see if SHE is here yet."

Zuko frowned. "No, she's not," he said, sighing heavily. "But it's three-thirty, so any second."

Outside, he heard the sound of an engine and people talking and his heart stopped. They were _here_. "Mai, babe, I've gotta go," he said. "Um, bye."

"Bye."

No "I love you"'s, just a simple goodbye. Zuko fixed his shirt and sniffed his breath. Smelled fine-wait! What was he doing? It's not like he was going on a date or anything, it was just a simple contest winner here to stay with him for a week. But then again who wants to meet a writer with bad breath?

He hastily shoved some mints into his mouth when he heard footsteps in the hallway, coughing when he nearly choked on them. Here they come...and then the knock came. Slowly, Zuko managed to stagger over, very ungraceful-like, and opened the door.

Long Feng stood there with an exasperated look and beside him stood a blushing, nervous looking girl with mocha skin and lush dark brown hair that fell over her shoulder and covered half her face. She wore black skinny jeans, combat boots, a blue cheetah print tank top, and a dark blue hoodie with stripes. And a choker was around her neck.

He didn't let his gaze linger on her, and turned quickly back to his publisher who looked like a parent about to hand an obnoxious child to the unsuspecting babysitter. Which was almost the situation.

"Zuko, Katara, Katara, Zuko," Long Feng introduced. "Well, now that we all know each other, I shall be leaving now." he whisked off without another word, leaving the startled publisher with the nervous girl.

**{*}{*}{*}**

Katara was both thankful and horrified that the publisher, called Long Feng, had left so quickly, leaving her alone with him. She didn't like him in the slightest, terrified by his cold green stare and his hard expression, which was why she was glad he had departed. But now she was alone.

With HIM.

She shifted her weight onto one foot and cocked her head so that more hair covered her face. Perhaps if she played herself off as the shy type, they wouldn't socialize much. The two just stood there in silence, not staring at each other outwardly, but from the corner of their eyes, almost studying.

She felt a longing to look into his gorgeous golden eyes, but wasn't sure of exactly how she could do that without feeling stalker-ish. He cleared his throat and she turned her head slightly.

"Um, welcome," he said in a soft voice. "I'm Zuko Agni-but I'm sure you already know that-I mean..." he trailed away, a blush rising in his face. Blood against alabaster.

"Yes, I know who you are," she said in a quiet, meek voice, then regretted her words. "I mean, I...I'm Katara Kalan," she blurted out. "it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Agni. I'm a fan-but not a stalker-ish fan, I mean...well...I thought your latest book _I Die, You Die_ was amazing, very nice. But a little sad at the end-uh, not that it wasn't good or anything..."

**{*}{*}{*}**

Zuko smiled. This girl was just as paranoid as he was, babbling on in a small attempt to lighten the mood. He admired this very much. With years of knowledge, he knew this girl would be pleasant to be around. He was positive after she got over her shyness she would become a real chatter-box, but in a good way. He knew this because he had a character very similar to her in a story he was working on. He saw her cheeks tint red beneath the curtain of hair upon seeing his kind smile and her lips twitched upward. He tensed.

He remembered that smile...with a sickening, toxic like feeling in his stomach, he said politely, "Let me take your bag," and leaned down to bring it into the apartment, hiding his dread behind his masterful poker face.

She followed from behind, gently shutting the door behind her awkwardly. He could not blame her, for she knew who he was, and what had happened to her during Joo Dee's gossip column. But...why did she sign up in the first place?

This was very confusing to him, and he wished to know. But right now, he had to get passed phase one: awkward meeting. He managed to act as casual as he could under the circumstances that were taunting him without a single drop of mercy.

It was her, the mocha girl he had met and acted like a love sick fool to. Despite his outward smile, inside he was scowling at his misfortune. Mai was going to blow a casket when she found out about this. And when that did happen, he was going to wind up IN a casket.

He watched as she parted her hair nervously out of her eyes, revealing a pair of sapphire orbs, as deep and beautiful as the ocean. He saw the waves, and could almost hear their lulling rhythm.

And when she spoke, her silvery voice mixed in with the waves sounded like music, purely intoxicating.

"Nice house."

Her siren spell yet again possessed him, cornering him into an awkward position. He shook it off like dust on a jacket. "Thank you, Katara," he said kindly. "Well...I'll show you to your room so you can get settled in."

She raised her eyebrows and a devious smile crept her face. "Okay, but if you try anything I'll kick your butt into the next century," he teased.

He chuckled. "Then I guess I won't get on your bad side."

"Wise choice," she said, following him as he carried her stuff (although with her protest) to the bedroom.

It was large and lavish. The carpet was perfectly white, pristine and without a speck of anything. Like it had never come into human contact, or at least her brother. The walls were a light burgundy, with a huge window that covered one entire wall. Although it let in a lot of light, it wasn't very private. A fancy and stylish (yet uncomfortable) chair sat in the corner with a glass coffee table.

The bed was big enough to hold a family of four. The board of the bed was leather and looked like it was designed more for a decoration then comfort. The blankets were white with red pillows splattered like bloodstains on the top. It was a very nice room, but the dartboard by the window ruined the whole thing.

"Amazing," Katara breathed, eyes as wide as a child on Christmas. "Is this the guest room?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "This is actually Mai's room. We don't have a guest-"

"Wait." Katara turned slowly toward him, eyes narrowed into slits in suspicion. "You and Mai Black don't share a room?"

He was startled by this question. Surely they didn't believe he would actually stoop to sleeping with his girlfriend. Despite what he wrote, he was far more honorable than his characters. Heck, he was a virgin himself (despite what everyone said about him). "No. I don't believe in sleeping with someone you are not married to-"

"THANK YOU!" Katara rolled her big blue eyes and beamed. "Finally, someone gets the bigger picture."

He raised his eyebrow. She was proving to be amusing. Perhaps this whole fiasco wasn't as bad as he had expected it to be. Besides, it wasn't like she was Annie or Raquel. "I am offended you thought different of me, Miss Kalan," he mused.

Her cheeks turned red. "Oh! Well..." she began to braid a small strand of hair. "The rumors and all..."

"Are entirely untrue," he assured her, his lips twisting downward with irritation. "Now, I will leave you so you can settle." He turned to leave but heard her speak up in a soft voice and turned his head.

"Are we doing anything today?"

He considered this carefully. "Have you eaten lunch yet?"

To answer, her stomach growled viciously.

"I'll make lunch-"

"No, I wi-"

"You are the guest, Katara. Let me."

He walked out and gently shut the door behind him. He hadn't thought about this experience being enjoyable, but he was beginning to see the light in the darkness now. She was emerging from her quiet place and was beginning to speak up.

Even if his girlfriend was going to freak out (which she would), he would enjoy the remaining moments of his life. He grabbed some bread and supplies from the silver refrigerator and set up an area on the counter, preparing for the ancient art of sandwich making.

"What would you like?" he called.

"PB&J, please!"

He raised an eyebrow and went to his own cabinet where he kept some personal snacks of his, such as creamy whip peanut butter. Since Mai was allergic, he could only eat it when she was gone. He thought about what was going to happen in these seven days.

He supposed it all depended on what type of girl she was, but he was already figuring it out. She walked into the kitchen, hugging herself. She stared awkwardly at the lavish home, studying the fine details with wide eyes. Obviously she was not accustomed to such luxury.

"Long Feng told me your family owns an inn," he said, testing to see if this was a good start for a conversation.

She nodded shyly. "By Lapasii Lake. The Cala Inn—named after my great-great-great grandmother who died in room 17, and is supposedly haunted. But I don't know. No one is sure. But, anyway, it has been passed down for generations of the Kalan family. My grandmother, Kahna, said that this building was more than an inn; that it was home. A safe haven. I believe her, of course. My dad owns the place now. He's pretty cool, minus the overprotective thing. And I have an idiot brother who adores shopping more than the average women (which is creepy) and just recently purchased a handbag at Designers R Us—"

"My sister shops there."

"—and he was strutting around like a peacock in the inn, wearing the most _horrifying _outfit I have ever seen in my entire life! One of my best friends, Jin, actually snapped a few pix and posted them on _FaceBook. _They're super funny. But nothing beats the picture of me at three o'clock in the morning, looking like a zombie with Medusa hair! Ha! Jin snapped some pictures and now uses it against me. It's kind of humiliating. But I get over things easily..."

Now she was _way_ out of her shyness stage and entering her over-talkative stage. He walked around the counter when he heard his phone buzz from the other room.

Katara, who was not used to the smooth, slippery floor, tried to back up but just slipped like an ice-skater and fell. But thankfully Zuko caught her quickly, making it look like they had just finished dancing and he was doing "the dip". They stared deep into each other's eyes, almost souls, and he could hear her heart beating fiercely in her chest. This was awkward.

"I..." she breathed, and it touched his face. Minty...

_Click…_

Suddenly the door to the apartment flew open and a jolly dude entered. He had long white hair braided and a beard (also braided), and a pair of golden eyes that flashed with the mischief of a child. He wore shorts and a T-shirt that said "I'M AS STEAMY AS THE TEA I BREW". He had a boom box under his arm and a large smile on his face.

"MY BROTHA FROM ANOTHER MOTHHHAAAAA! HAVIN A PARTAAAAAY WITHOUT YOUR SUPER FLY UNCLE? WELL, THIS PARTY NEEDS SOME TUNES! I BROUGHT THE BEST OF HILLARY DUFF! DANCE MY BROTHA DANCE!"

He pressed a button on the boom box and danced around to "this is what dreams are made of". Suddenly he stopped and seemed to notice them. "OOOH I AM INTERRUPTED YOUR 'MAKING A MOVE'! MAI IS OUT OF THE PICTURE? YAY! WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, MRS. AGNI!"

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffy...I love Iroh...tell me, is he over the top or perfect? Review, please!<strong>


	10. Uncle Iroh

**patty cake rocks: :D THANK YOU! I've always admired the idea of Iroh attempting to be "hip". XD**

**AnnaAza: Hakoda doesn't read the newspaper, since he believes it's nothing but lies. :) Katara just informed him about the situation about the previous article before he could hear it from someone else. And Iroh is OOC, but that's just because I wanted to portray him as the "attempting to be hip" type uncle. Sort of like my dad. O_o**

* * *

><p>Chapter Ten<p>

Uncle Iroh

Iroh instantly charged at the two with the strength of build of an ox, but he had the waddle and height of a dwarf. He engulfed them both into a powerful hug, and then twirled them before setting them back down. "EXCELLENT!" he said happily, eyes glistening.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, she looked at her with warmth and kindness in his eyes, which glowed with the radiance of a flickering fire in the dead of winter. He looked at her as though she were his own kin, familiarity written across his face. He studied her face briefly, and then turned to his nephew, winking.

"Pleasure to meet you, current or future Mrs. Agni," Iroh said kindly. "I am Iroh Agni—Zuko's uncle, also a scuba-diver, pilot, retired actor, future husband of Hillary Duff, and all things awesome—"

Katara blushed, rubbing her arm nervously and finding a sudden interest in her shoes.

Zuko clenched his hands at his sides. His jaw tensed and his eyes briefly tightened. Frustration and exasperation was written across his perfectly sculpted features, and his demeanor was tense and rigid. _"Uncle." _The word came out sounding like a warning.

Iroh briefly regarded him, kindness transfiguring to curiosity. "Is there something wrong with me introducing myself to your new girlfriend?"

Her cheeks darkened to a burgundy, and her insides gave an unpleasant churn.

The very _idea _of her sharing close contact with Zuko was embarrassing enough. So when the idea became reality—even for that brief second—had been mortifying…but while it was possibly the most embarrassing moment of her life, it could be easily forgotten. However, now that this old man who looked like Santa Claus's hipster brother had witnessed, she feared the subject would never drop. What could have been nothing was turned into a bigger deal than it was, and would undoubtedly expand.

"She's not my girlfriend, Uncle," said Zuko.

Iroh raised his eyebrow. "So you are cheating on Mai, then?" His eyes widened, but not in horror, but in excitement. And a large smile played at his face. "Good for you!"

"I am not cheating on Mai!" Zuko's voice rose, his eyes briefly tightening.

It became clear that the two had had this conversation a few times before, and each time had played out the same.

"So you just abducted her? Are you researching for another book?"

Katara giggled lightly, even though there wasn't really anything funny about this newfound situation. What was his uncle doing here, anyway? Did he have to stay and make sure they didn't try anything? Was he going to follow them around everywhere like a lost puppy? Perhaps. She eyed the both of them; hoping one would divulge what the old guy was doing here.

But then again, maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing, he staying. He seemed quite funny and could make time with Zuko less…awkward.

"No," Zuko answered. "Unlike you, that doesn't consist as one of my hobbies."

She watched as his eye twitched and then threw his neck back, howling with laughter despite the lack of humor in the situation.

Katara jumped.

His laugh was thunderous, and she briefly felt suspicious again before she saw the laugh lines around his eyes.

He wiped his eyes and said, trying to hold back the laughter, "Ahhh-ha. All joking aside, what is she doing here?" he offered her a kind smile very much like his nephew's.

Zuko sighed heavily and told him everything about the contest (which he had apparently not agreed to) and how she had won.

Katara raised her eyebrows. Mai would actually agree to a contest FOR him? That was simply idiotic and unjust. Don't couples agree on things together? She wouldn't know, since her last romance wasn't exactly the best. Just never date your BFF's rebel brother, even if is Italian inherited good looks made him irresistible.

After Zuko had finished, Iroh took the words into careful consideration.

"That Mai is a—" Iroh began but stopped. "Anyway…forgive me for my rude intrusion of your fine abode, I will leave now." He leaned down and turned off the boombox before placing it back on his shoulder.

"Hold it," Zuko said, placing a hand on his uncle's free shoulder. "What the hell are you even doing here?"

Iroh rolled his eyes, all seriousness vanishing. "Obvious, is it not?" he said in his Yoda voice. "Wanted to see my nephew, I did."

Katara giggled again.

"Finds it funny she does," said Iroh, winking, and said in a deeper voice. "The Force is strong in this one. Chooo-cheeee."

Zuko didn't appear to be amused by his uncle, and said in a hard voice, "Okay, you've had your fun. What's the _real_ reason you're here? You wouldn't come all the way from China if it wasn't important."

Iroh pouted, obviously displeased by his party-pooper nephew. "Fine," he said, sighing in defeat. "I came for several reasons. The first is to break you up with Grey Mai. Second—"

"Enough!" Zuko snarled. "I'm not breaking up with Mai, uncle. And I don't even know this girl!"

Katara blushed; feeling like it wasn't her place to listen in on their now private conversation. It was none of her business to listen in on this, so she would make a disappearance.

Sheepishly, she said, "I'm, um, just going to go make some sandwiches." They either didn't hear her or they were deliberately ignoring her. It didn't matter.

**{*}{*}{*}**

Zuko had heard Katara leave but he paid her no mind, too livid with his meddling uncle to pretty much do anything but glare. He had always disapproved of Mai, saying there were billions of other girls in the world with real personalities, girls worthwhile.

But his uncle wasn't getting the picture why he was stuck with her…and he wasn't about to paint it out for him. These reasons why he was still with her were personal.

He rarely ever spoke of the matter, and when he did it was out of anger and he would be conversing to Mai, no one else. He wished Iroh would just get a life and stop pestering him about the relationship and how "Maiko" should end.

"She seems nice," Iroh said, smiling "The girl. You can tell by those lovely blue eyes."

Zuko gave Katara a sideways glance. Indeed her eyes were lovely, but that wasn't a way you could tell how a person was. Due to his lineage, he had to learn that out the hard way.

"Mai has nice eyes," he said, frowning.

"Eyes as hard as a rock," his uncle argued. "Now, name one good thing about her."

Zuko opened his mouth to protest but couldn't find the words to say. He had to admit Mai's eyes weren't exactly the most gentle, but she had good qualities such as...as...

You can't think of anything. Now," Iroh said casually, as if the previous conversation had never happened. "I am off! I hope you have a splendid-BEAUTIFUL, YOU SAY?" he abruptly shouted. "MY! MY! ZUKO I HAVE NEVER HEARD YOU SAY SOMETHING AS POETIC ABOUT A WOMEN BEFORE!"

Zuko raised an eyebrow in confusion, but then it struck him like lightning. Dang. "UNCLE!" he hissed.

Iroh winked. "You'll thank me one day, my nephew," he said. "If you ever need me, I'll be at the Order of the White Lotus Club. We can discuss matters of a nice, hot cup of tea. Wouldn't that be delightful?"

Before Zuko could reply, Iroh had already left. If it weren't for the audible _click_ of the door, he probably wouldn't have even noticed his departure.

Sighing, Zuko shuffled into the kitchen, unsure of what her reaction was going to be. But to his surprise, she didn't have anything but a casual smile as she prepared lunch. Perhaps she hadn't heard him, but then again his uncle had shouted so loudly it would be impossible not to have heard. He cautiously stood in front of the corner, studying her body language.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

He looked at her eyes, startled by the vibrant shade of blue. It was a remarkable color, and he made a mental note of using it one day in his books. And her movements were one of grace, like she was dancing. And yet, she was only preparing lunch.

Yes, indeed, she was proving to be quite amusing to him... a negative thought popped into his train of thought.

_Mai._

What was she going to say when she saw the article? Wait a second... he walked out of the kitchen and opened the door wide. The newspaper stood there. Carefully he picked it up like it was a bomb, and gently flipped through the pages, as if afraid to pluck the wrong wire.

He frowned when he reached the last page. Nothing. Joo Dee or any other reporter had written nothing about the topic. Were they...going easy on him at least? No. He scrunched up the newspaper into a snowball.

This was some sort of trick, one that only made him believe he was off the hook, when really, he was doomed.

Doomed beyond belief. His mouth in a tight line, he returned back into the kitchen and threw the newspaper into the recycle bin, trying to think of what type of game Joo Dee was playing.

"Almost done," she told him.

"How do you know what type of sandwich I like?" he asked suspiciously. Was she just another stalker fan girl who watched him from his window?

She blushed, hesitating. "Um, my friend Jin—I told you a little about her—looked you up on Google."

"Charming." He furrowed his brow when he saw he had a text-message on his iPhone. "Tell your friend I do not like being Googled."

"I did," she blurted out awkwardly. "Well...who does like being Googled?"

**Long Feng: Reminder: party 7:30 PM. Do NOT be late. PS: You can bring the girl.**

Zuko sighed. He had forgotten all about that stupid party. Perhaps he could magically "forget" again. "There's a party tonight," he told her. "I have to go, but you don't have to if you don't wa—"

"No," she said, placing his hot-chili pepper sandwich on a plate. "I want to go."

He shrugged. "If you wish."

"I do."

He shrugged again. "Just be warned, the press could-"

"I can handle the press," she said, rolling her eyes, smirking. "If they try to snap some pix of me, I'll kung fu chop the panda out of them."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry this chapter is short! But I felt like introducing Iroh to all of you, and I had to make in brief since I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello-goodbye, I'm late! I'm late! I'm late! lol JK! I'm actually going to go pick up a new member of my animal family! XD TTFN!<strong>


	11. A Dead Language

**AnnaAza: Hehehe, you like chilly-peppers on a sandwich? Wow, you're brave! O_o Iroh is indeed going to play cupid (but without the diaper, thank goodness)! Read and find out! X)**

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><p>Chapter Eleven<p>

A Dead Languagae

Katara wasn't exactly sure why she wanted to go to this party, it had just slipped out, but when she thought about it...it might be fun. She would get to meet some celebrities, maybe a little dancing—but just one problem: she hated parties. That, and she can't dance.

_Why did she reject Jin's offer to attend her jazz-dancing classes in high school?_

So going to this party wasn't one of her best ideas in the world, and not to mention the fact the press would be all over this. Thankfully her father didn't read the newspaper, believing it was nothing but lies, but what about her brother? He could easily tell him. But would he? Obviously, since he was just as protective.

She sighed softly as she dug through his suitcase in search of something one would wear to a celeb party. Was it okay to wear torn jeans and a t-shirt with worn out converse?

She considered this. Did it seriously matter? Technically she wasn't a celebrity, just hanging out with one, so she didn't have to look her very best. It's not like she didn't care what they thought of her.

…but she did care. Well, not what they thought, but what he thought. Besides, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so she may as well make the most of it. So, it was time to consult the expert on these sorts of things.

"Dr. Jin is in the house. What can I do for you, Kit Kat?"

Katara sighed, pacing the length of the room. "Hi, Jin. I need assistance on an issue I've gotten myself into."

"_Bad girl_—!"

"Not that situation!" she all but screamed into the phone, rolling her eyes. Honestly, the way Jin twisted her words into something highly inappropriate was horrifyingly annoying.

Jin giggled. "Sorr-ee. What type of situation, Kit Kat?"

"Some party Zuko is attending," she mumbled, speaking as quietly as she could without him hearing her. The last thing she wanted was for him to believe she didn't know anything about parties. How humiliating would that be? "I was invited to attend, b—"

"LUCKY!" Jin squealed, giggling wildly. "Omimonkey! A celeb party? Like in those pictures...omg..."

Katara frowned. "Focus. What should I wear?"

"Sexy-casual-formal," Jin said like it should have been obvious, and Katara could all but see the eye roll.

"Uh, okay." She placed the cell phone between her shoulder and head and started to rummage again through her suitcase. She had to have brought something just a little formal in case of emergencies.

_There has to be something here...c'mon...aha!_

She pulled up a beautiful dark blue dress of the deepest sapphire. It came a little above the knee, and was slightly loose at the bottom so that it swirled gracefully. The top had silver beads she had added herself to add more detail.

She had only worn it a few other occasions, and it rarely saw the light of day. Well, today it will. But not alone, no. She placed it on the couch and went back to search for a pair of black leggings.

"Find something?" Jin asked, jazz music playing in the background.

"My blue dress and black leggings."

"Hmm..." she could hear Jin flipping through something, most likely a magazine. "Sounds cute. Did you bring high heels?"

"Umm." Katara frowned when she reached the bottom. She had only brought three pairs: worn out blue sneakers, flip-flops, and combat boots. If she was smart enough to bring a dress, why didn't she bring heels or even her gladiators as well? "Are converse fine?"

"Sometimes." Jin sounded unsure, which wasn't like her. "Maybe they would be okay. I mean, how many people are gonna be staring at your SHOES?"

Katara smiled. "Okay, well thanks, Jin-"

"Sends me the deets about the par-tay as soon as you can!"

"Will do. TTFN."

Katara sighed heavily and tossed her black, blue lined phone onto the bed. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad. She checked the clock on the side table.

4:03.

Three hours to get ready...She picked up the clothing she wished to wear and glanced uneasily at the large window that covered a good portion of the wall. It reached to the ceiling and floor, framing the city outside. There were no blinds to hide the view inside, and the curtains weren't much protection.

_So not going to get dressed in here_, she thought. She turned her head and saw another door she hadn't noticed before. There was a note:

Mai's private bathroom. Feel free. -Zuko

She bit her lower lip and fought back a giggle, though she wasn't sure why she was laughing. She walked into the bathroom and made a beeline toward the shower.

**{*}{*}{*}**

Zuko decided upon his usual signature attire: a long sleeved shirt button up shirt, black pants, and just regular black shoes.

Nothing special. Since he was a man, it only took less than an hour to take a shower, get dressed, and dry off—but for women...they were another story. He checked the clock in the kitchen—7:10-and she hadn't come out yet.

Honestly.

Why did women have to take this long? Even his younger sister and late mother didn't take this long.

He leaned against the counter and watched as time ticked by, ever so slowly. He could understand why she was taking so long, though, since this was her first big party...he furrowed his brow. _I think..._And at least it was her, a non-stalker, than someone like Raquel. Man, that girl was creepy.

He shuddered. He heard footsteps and turned to look away from time and toward Katara. His eyes widened so large his eyeballs could have fallen out of their sockets. She looked...stunning.

The blue dress looked magnificent on her slender form, coming just above the knees, with black leggings. She wore a little makeup-silver sparkling eye shadow (but not overdone), a little blush, and pink shiny lip-gloss. Her dark hair was braided messily. And she wore...a pair of worn out converse. Odd, but made the outfit unique.

"You look divine," he said, knowing no words could possibly describe how she looked. Even the great William Shakespeare would be too awed.

"Thanks," she said sheepishly, rubbing her arm. And he saw, around her neck, was the same choker as earlier, but he saw the charm now. It was carved to look like waves. "Are we late?"

"Not at all."

They walked out of the apartment, a few people who were in the hall turned to stare and out the door where he had parked his silver Volvo. Again he saw the same look of amazement flash across her face, eyes blinking, lips slightly parted, and awestruck.

Being a gentlemen, a opened the door for her and felt his heart abruptly stop when her hand accidentally touched his own, just ever so slight brushing.

His heart fluttered briefly, and his insides chilled.

He shook it off (not the hand, the feeling). The car roared to life and was soon advancing down the street. He watched from the corner of his good eye as she stared at every detail the car had to offer.

"Never been in a Volvo?" he asked.

She shook her head, blushing. "My family owns a minivan."

He cocked his head. "Oh?"

She nodded. "It's okay, but not exactly the best in the last twenty years."

"You don't look a day over seventeen," he informed her sweetly.

At first she appeared pleased by the compliment, a shy smile grazing her features. It quickly went downward, however, and she scowled. "Are you saying I have a zit face?"

Despite himself, he chuckled. "Vovse net, sapfir," he assured her.

Her eyebrows traveled up her forehead. "You speak Russian?" she asked in amazement.

"Da. I learned it when I was a kid—it is a beautiful langauge. Govorite li vy russkiĭ yazyk?" **( Do you speak Russian?)**

"Da," she said, beaming. "Mama nauchila menya neskolʹko yazykov , kogda ya byl rebenkom, Rossiya yavlyaet·sya odnim iz nih." (**My mom taught me several languages when I was a kid, Russian being one of them). **"Parlez-vous français, Zuko?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "My sister is the French-nut—"

"She's sometimes in magazines I and my friends read," she said casually, coming out of the awkwardness stage. "Her outfits are cute and all, but she's sort of odd."

Zuko burst into laughter, stopping at a red light. Finally, someone else who saw his sister's strange side and not her perfection. "H-h-how so?"

"You have your uncle's laugh," she said. "Anyway, I saw her in _Tiger Beat _with her boyfriend. He's old enough to be her father."

He nodded once, a little offended by the comment about his laugh but saw she meant well. And the boyfriend... He wouldn't have picked Zhao out to be her boyfriend, but it was her life. She could decide what to do with it. "I agree," he said, shrugging. "Tu Latine loqui?"

She nodded. "Isque primus erat in extrarius lingua docuit me mater mea." **(It was the first foreign language my mother taught me.)**

"People say it's a dead language," he said. "it's beautiful, though. Such a pity it is no longer used."

She smirked. "We're sort of using it now. Quid est pars, non per viam?" **(What is this party about, by the way?)**

He shook his head. "Nescio. Iustus partis." **(I don't know. Just a party) **"Here we go."

He parked in front of the building where bright lights were flashing and music was blaring. It was the club. He saw a long line of people being pushing back by the rope and some big, scary guy at the door. They always had to get some scary dude.

"Stay close," Zuko said. He didn't want her getting mixed up with all the people who maybe in there. He nodded at the guy. "I'm Zuko X. Agni-"

"Yes, we know," he said in a deep voice. "We're expecting you."

"Thank you."

The two entered the club and at once the music made his head throb and the flashing lights weren't helping.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

He glanced around the familiar and unfamiliar faces of the crowd, until he found someone he knew all too well, someone he had called earlier. Her smug gaze turned to his and she smirked.

"Um, you can go dance if you want," he said awkwardly. "I need to talk to her."

She followed his gaze and nodded. "Okay."

Zuko wasn't exactly sure what his sister was doing all the way from France to California, and he was growing suspicious with each step he took toward her. She at by the bar, twirling the olive in her drink casually, the toothpick between her nimble fingers.

He sat down next to her, narrowing his eyes. "What are you doing here?" First Iroh, now her. Something was up. "You better not be here to break me up with Mai."

Azula shrugged innocently. "Oh, please, little Zuzu," she mused. "Mai is one of my best friends, so why would I want to do that?"

He glared. "Why are you here?"

She smirked. "Can't I come to a nice party to enjoy myself?"

Zuko huffed. "No. You came here to see Katara Kalan, didn't you, _little Zula_?"

He hoped this would cause a reaction out of her, but she remained indifferent. She did, however, permit a brief smirk to flash across her face.

Sighing out of boredom, she said, "So, where is she?"

He pointed over to the girl who was standing awkwardly near the dance floor, and thankfully the lights were starting to slow down so that she was clearly in his view.

"She's pretty, I suppose," Azula said with a shrug. "Not your type, though."

"How do you know what my type is?" he snarled.

Azula smiled slyly. "Because I'm a people person."

**{*}{*}{*}**

Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" played. It was one of her favorite songs, and one of the few she would dance to in her room as a teenager. Katara actually found herself enjoying the party, though she wished Zuko would come over and dance with her but she could see why he wasn't.

Two reasons.

One: he was talking to his sister. Two: he obviously didn't want to appear he was cheating on Mai Black. She shrugged it off and twirled, snapping her fingers to match the song. Her braid swished back and forth like a cat's tail, and with her sneakers instead of heels, dancing was a little easier.

Although dancing wasn't exactly one of her favorite activities, it was starting to make its way up there. She supposed she was no longer the klutz she was back in high school. Her hips swayed to the music, her skirt twirling with her.

She felt the tight leash she kept on herself loosen until she had full freedom. And she liked it. She liked feeling free. She blushed when she saw Zuko and his sister, Azula, turn their heads toward her. Their lips moved, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.

_Maybe I should go over there…_

Suddenly, before she could react, a whole new crowd of people had come onto the dance floor, engulfing her like flames.

Uh oh.

The Agni's were out of sight and she sighed heavily, knowing she had to get out before she was trampled to death. A few men eyed her, as if she was a dessert on a passing cart and worth saving room for. But she ignored them, favoring an escape much more than another dance. She shoved her way out of the crowd, but it was like trying to escape a wild riptide.

Someone stepped on her foot and she yelped, but the music drowned it out. She paused for a moment to examine the damage, when she felt a hand touch her should. By natural reflex she turned rigid and clenched her fists, ready to whirl around and confront said person. No doubt some drunken moron.

But the voice was not slurry and unintelligible; it was smooth and eerily calm, with a little edge. "Nice to see you, babe."

She shivered, eyes widening in horror.

_Jet._

She tried to process what was happening, but none of it made any sense. How the heck could he have made his way into a famous and expensive club? Why was he here? His very presence intimidated her, but she refused to let it show. There was no way she was going to give him the satisfaction.

What are you doing here?" she asked. She tried to keep her voice steady and firm, but it came out shaky and unsure.

She turned around to face him. He still looked the same; olive skin, thick brown hair, the straw in his mouth, and of course his onyx black eyes that anyone could get lost in. He wore baggy brown cargos and a brown T-shirt. He was still handsome, but this didn't affect her anymore. If anything, it just made her hate him more.

"Thought I'd come see my baby," he said, draping his arm lazily around her shoulder. "You look sexy."

She tried to pull away, but it was hard since they were crowded practically together by the crowd. "Go away, Jet," she said, trying to appear strong despite her position.

He smirked. "No, no, I don't think I will," he allowed his arm to coil around her waist, claiming her. "Let's ditch this joint and head back to my place."

Katara cursed mentally. "Let go, Jet," she growled. "Go _away_."

He chuckled darkly in her ear. "You can't get rid of me, baby. Now, let's go." His grip tightened as he dragged her out of the crowd.

"Jet, let go!" she shouted, but the music was far too loud for anyone to hear her distress.

She opened her mouth to scream, but it was as if someone had reached down her throat and ripped her vocal chords. Her voice came out as a croak, and was lost in all that was happening. She wasn't going to let herself be taken away so easily; she writhed and fought against his grip, but it was useless. But she refused to give up.

Suddenly she felt Jet's grip loosen and saw him being shoved away by a pair of marble hands. She peered over her shoulder to see who her savior was. Zuko.

"Is there a problem here?" Zuko said, standing a little in front of her.

Jet smirked. "Oh, no, officer," he sneered. "I'm just takin' my lady back to my pla-"

"I'm not your lady!" Katara snapped, heat rushing up her neck.

Jet laughed lightly, like she was an amusing child fighting against her parents. "C'mon, Agni, step aside," he said, roughly attempting to get him out of the way. "Let's go, babe."

Zuko's once soft golden eyes tightened and blazed like a forest fire. He shoved Jet away, moving so that he was standing protectively in front of her.

"Get out."

"Why the hell should I listen to you?" Jet growled.

"You were not invited to this event, now GET LOST." Zuko did something unexpected: he punched him in the face.

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><p><strong>DUH DUH DUH! JET IS BACK! Okay, before I get any hate, I do NOT support AzulaZhao, I just had to make her the bad girl type. I'm a Jetzula person. And also, I made Jet bad for the sake of the plot.**

**Now that's out of the way...I wanted Katara and Zuko to bond over languages, since it's sort of romantic...(sighs dreamily)...anyway, I hope you enjoyed!**


	12. Cannot Be Explained

**music909: (smiles) Thank you! :) And I like that you like it! lol**

**AnnaAza: ;)**

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><p>Chapter Twelve<p>

Cannot Be Explained

Katara gasped.

The punk stumbled backwards, his hands over his bleeding and possibly broken nose. He backed away into the bar, falling over the counter with a large _THUMP!_

Many gazes had turned toward the scene, watching in slight horror or amusement as the famous writer stood there with a look of anger. He saw his sister lean casually against the counter and stare down at the punk, and then turned her gaze toward her brother, smirking. He understood why.

In his younger years, he had gotten into heavy fights, coming home with a broken nose, black eye, or large bruises.

Sometimes all the above.

While his mother would stare down at it with disapproval of his actions, his father seemed somewhat proud. He would grunt and say sharply, _"At least he's growing a spine."_ That comment had nearly caused him to burst into tears, but remained strong.

Now was quite similar to a situation he dealt with when he was a seventeen. Some football jockey was trying to make a move on a quiet girl and they both wound up fighting. Sadly, that girl turned out to be Raquel who saw his fighting as an act of affection, later stalking him at great lengths.

The crowd fell silent, and even the DJ had stopped the music. If it weren't for their blinking bewildered eyes, one would have assumed they were statues. Zuko watched as a bartender walked over and helped the olive toned punk up, handing him a napkin for his nose which was spurting out a red liquid.

Serves him right for trying something on her. He looked down at her in concern, wondering how horrified she was by what would have happened he had not stepped him.

But to his surprise, she had a calm expression, but her eyes tightened. The gentle waves had turned into a riptide. The punk turned his hard black eyes that were deeper and darker than a black hole turned and met his amber, sending each other death glares.

"She's mine!" he snarled, struggling against the two bartenders who were escorting him out. "You can't have her!"

Zuko wrapped his arm protectively around her waist, drawing her close to him to show him he wasn't afraid. Once, he was gone, the music started up again and everyone began dancing and gossiping again like nothing had happened.

But Zuko couldn't shake it off; the horrifying thought of that...that guy attempting something on her. His eyes followed each and every man in the club suspiciously, like they were all after her. Naturally this was a stupid thought since half of those men had dates, but nonetheless he was growing nervous.

The two just stood where they were like statues, as if they had stared into Medusa's eyes. After what seemed like an eternity he blinked once, twice, thrice? He wasn't sure, only knowing that it was time to get out.

"Gotovy li vy uehatʹ, sapfir?" he asked her. **(Are you ready to leave, sapphire?)**

"Da," she said, nodding her head slightly.

Arm still held around her, he walked her back outside where the line seemed even longer and unmoving. He paid them no mind when they were whispering something about the mystery women. He was well aware of what they were speaking about, but he didn't wish to worry about such silly things at the moment.

He opened the car door for her and shut it, not taking his eyes off the dark road once, staring intently like any second a figure would emerge from the shadows. He sighed, shaking the ridiculous thoughts out of his brain.

It was just like one of his novels, romantic and dramatic, but not realistic. So deep within his own thoughts everything had gone silent, the whispering, the music, and even the thundering roar of the engine fell upon deaf ears.

He drove silently down the road, unsure of what to say or talk about. What could he say? At first he wondered if it would be alright to speak about this punk guy, but realized it was far too personal and too soon to mention a sensitive subject.

"Two months," she sighed softly. "We dated two months."

It was as if she had read his mind. "I, uh—if you don't want to talk—"

She shrugged, and stared grimly into the distance. "Why did you do what you did back there?" She looked at him, expecting an answer, obviously. When he didn't reply right away, she added, "Did he steal your woman or something? If so, that wouldn't be very surprising."

"No," he mumbled, staring ahead."I've never met the guy."

"Then…." She studied him carefully. "Why? Jet was my problem to handle. Not yours. So why intervene?"

"I…it cannot be explained."

She shrugged, leaning her head against the glass window, tinted black so that no one could see inside. "I see," she replied softly.

Hesitating, he asked, "How...how did you cross paths with him, anyway?"

She smiled. Lifting her hands, she gently rubbed her temples, closing her eyes and exhaling silently. "Jin. The cause of all things drama in my life."

"And yet you're still friends with her."

"I've known her since we were kids. She's one of my closest friends, but she just believes every life should have a tiny piece of drama..."

"So how is she the cause?"

"She's Jet's sister." She inhaled sharply and began. "I was fifteen at the time, just starting high school with my besties. It was supposed to be the greatest years of my life, after how my father, Hakoda, had explained it to me. Well, it sort of was, I guess. I was a star student, I never got into trouble, I was...what's the word?...a teacher's pet."

She sighed.

"And then he came into my life. Jin was having a party at her place while her foster parents were out of town for the weekend and naturally I had to go, to supervise. While there, she introduced me to her older brother." She shook her head. "Jet. He was handsome, charming...and there was something about him that caused me to be drawn to him. Like moths to a flame.

Anyway, we started dating at once, and for the first few weeks I was content. He was a regular dreamboat." She scoffed. "I should have seen right through his act. Almost two months after we got together, he...he tried to, well, 'make a move' while my dad was at the shop and my brother out with his girlfriend."

She shrugged.

"Naturally I broke up with him on the spot and shoved him out of the house. Ever since then he's been a thorn in my side. Very stalker-ish." She blurted out the words quickly, eager to get them out and be done with them. She half-expected him to laugh at her for some reason, but was shocked to see that he had a understanding look on his handsome face.

"I understand," he said. "This girl at my private school, Raquel, used to stalk me. It was...creepy." He snickered. "I modeled a character after her in my book _I Die, You __Die_. Riana."

Katara smirked. "Note to self, never get on your bad side."

He smiled kindly at her, though he was utterly confused. She looked so at ease, like nothing had happened at all, as if...this Jet had never been there. He stopped at a red light and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. He tried to erase the thought of what would have happened had he not stepped in.

The bastard would've gotten his either way.

"What's your inspiration?"

He turned his head, slowly lowering his hand. "My what?" he asked, brow furrowed.

"Inspiration," she repeated patiently. "Every writer has something that inspires them."

His inspiration? He thought about it. Truthfully he wasn't exactly sure where he got his...inspiration. He had never given it much thought until now. He had written his first book out of depression and rage against his family, but that's not how his other materiel had been done.

"You don't have to tell me," she said when she saw his brooding expression. "I was just curious."

He nodded, though his thoughts still lingered. Perhaps it was his family or his friends...he shook his head. What did it matter, anyway? As long as they were getting published was good enough for him. All other details were irrelevant.

Lost in the silence again, he found himself thinking of his deadline, and what he could possibly write. He knew it was going to be a love story, but just wasn't sure which type. He already had so many and it felt like he had used every type of love story plot in the book. Coldblooded murder-mystery novels were more his speed.

"Mr. Agni?" she asked timidly.

"No," he said. "Mr. Agni was my father. You can call me Zuko."

Katara parted her hair out of her face and bit her lower lip. "Um…Zuko?"

They turned a corner, the apartment coming into view. "Yes, sapphire?"

She swallowed. "I just want to say…thank you. For before." Blushing, she leaned forward and gently pecked his cheek, leaving a cherry-red imprint.

**{*}{*}{*}**

**music909: (smiles) Thank you! :) And I like that you like it! lol**

**AnnaAza: ;)**

**Note: sorry if this chapter seems...weird. I just recently watched "Insidious" (sorry if that's the wrong spelling), and I'm kinda jumpy. (glances around nervously) Well, wish me luck...**

When they entered the apartment, Katara—face scarlet—went straight to her bedroom despite the early hour without dinner. Zuko, however, did not. As said, during his writer's block sleeping wasn't an option so why waste time?

He got himself some sprite (he never had alcohol) with a piece of lemon and sat down on the couch, just staring up at the ceiling. He would have been pleased to stay in that position until he grew bored and fell asleep, but before he had the chance his phone vibrated. Sighing heavily when he saw who it was, he answered. "Hey, babe."

"Hello, Zuko," Mai said. "I'm calling to see how you are doing."

"YA horosho , Maĭ , kak ty?" he said, fully aware she did not understand him. **(I am well, Mai, how about you?)**

Mai groaned. "Enough with your Spanish, Zuko, you know how that drives me insane."

_It's Russian, _he thought irritably. "Sorry. How's the cruise?"

"Sickening!" he heard her groan again. "I hate the ocean..."

Then why she went, he wasn't sure. There were murmurs in the background. "Who's that?"

She sighed, her voice dryer than usual. "It's a family reunion, Zuko. I and my cousin Jon are rooming together.

Zuko didn't recall a cousin of hers who went by that name, but then again he barely knew her parents.

"I also wanted to see how the winner was doing," she said, her voice somewhat menacing.

"Good. She's nice—"

"Does she seem interested?"

"She has a boyfriend," he lied. Or maybe that wasn't a lie...maybe she did have someone out there that he was unaware about. The thought made his insides twitch.

"Good." He heard some rustling and then a long, bored sigh. "I've gotta go. Bye."

"Goodbye, Mai."

He placed the phone back on the coffee table and placed his arms behind his head, permitting his eyes to droop. He permitted himself to venture into the abyss of his mind of sleep. Farther and farther until he reached the edge.

He fell down that cliff, and his breathing became gentle, his chest slowly rising and falling. He was a peaceful sight to behold. But what was going on in his head was anything but peaceful. It was a dark, tormented place of solitude filled with such things that Tim Burton would find depressing.

Tonight, he dreamt about his mother.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry this chapter is boring-I'm just a little tired. Expect a better chapter either later today or tomorrow! TTFN! review, please! :)<strong>


	13. Just A Dream

**miss quirky bookworm: XD Hopefully, but if we know anything about Jet, he's persistant. O_o...mwahahahhahahahahaaaaaa! }:)**

**AnnaAza: Haha! Mai doesn't really pay attention to other languages, so it makes sense she wouldn't know the difference between Russian and Spanish (giggles). I have to agree-Jin is SERIOUSLY annoying! (rolls eyes) But, she's mega fun to write! :D Also, we all have annoying friends in our lives! lol**

**B****e warned, viewer or reader or whatever it is you are, some serious Zuko angst coming up! very well, you've been warned...**

****DUHHH DUHHH DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH****

**Disclaimer: I think we've all grasped the fact I don't own Avatar. **

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><p>Chapter Thirteen<p>

Just A Dream

Katara assumed that Zuko would think she was asleep, but in actuality, she was just texting Jin. She switched off the lights, pulled the thin curtains over the large window, and snuggled up in the bed. Since it was warm, she didn't pull the covers over her and just rested on the top.

The room was consumed by darkness except for the little rectangle of light in her hand.

She hesitated at first, unsure of what she was going to say. How could she explain to one of her best friends that her stalker-ex-boyfriend (and brother of her besty) tried to make a move on her again?

The last thing she wished to inflict on the Justice siblings. Their relationship was already complex, and the last thing she wanted to do was make things worse.

Nibbling on her lower lip, she started texting.

**KATARA: hey jin**

**JIN: omimonkey! tell me everything! **

Katara bit her lower lip nervously. She knew that Jin read the newspaper—and no doubt this was going to go public. And if Jin learned about this public stir through Joo Dee's psychotic portion of the paper (where she "added" stuff to the truth), she would get ticked off beyond belief. So it would make things easier for the both of them for her to explain. At least then she would get the full, un-tampered with story.

**KATARA: the party was fn, but ur bro showed up**

There was a long pause, and Katara feared that she—

**JIN: ruh roh! what for?**

She sighed with relief.

**KATARA: he tried 2 make a move but ZA helped**

**JIN: HOW ROMANTIC! :D I wish MY night in armor would come 2 rescue me!**

**KATARA: :(**

**JIN: Sorry. ;P more deets, KK**

**KATARA: i think i saw a few celebs there **

**JIN: not about the celebs! About your Romeo!**

Was it possible to hate your friend yet them her at the same time? With Jin…yes.

**KATARA: Stop it!**

**JIN: whatz he like?**

**KATARA: he speaks Russian**

**JIN: BORING!**

**KATARA: he likes chili peppers on his sandwich**

Another pause.

Normally Jin would reply in a millisecond, wanting to be head in the conversation and having the last word. So the fact that she was going almost two minutes without replying was starting to worry her.

_Ping!_

**JIN: my bro just came in with a broken nose. You hit him?**

**KATARA: no, Zuko did**

**JIN: calling him Zuko now, are we?**

**KATARA: whatever**

**JIN: :P got 2 go. Med attention needed. Enjoy your sexy man! ttfn**

Katara rolled her eyes and shut her phone off. A blush crept up her neck and into her actions, her mocha skin turning rosy.

**{*}{*}{*}**

_He stood there in his old childhood bedroom, which was just as large as the entire apartment. The walls were painted red, the carpet a milky shade that was quite soft and lush to a point where you could sleep comfortably on it. The blankets were custom made to look like they were on fire. _

_He saw a form lying on the bed and neared it slowly, feeling the warmth of Phoenix, Arizona around him, his childhood location. The child rolled on his side so that he could get a clear look of the face. His eyes widened slightly. _

_He was staring at his eight year old self. _

_The child appeared peaceful, having pleasant dreams (about their possible trip to Hawaii, if he remembered correctly). And outside, the evening sky was a glorious dusky blue that only Arizona could pull off. Tints of violet lay beyond the horizon, turning the sky into a darkened lilac. _

_The boy moved again, and his eyes opened briefly. His head bobbed as he sniffed the air. He dropped back down to the pillow, disregarding the strange scent in the air. He released a long sigh, scratching his chin before letting it drop._

_Zuko stepped toward the child, remembering that the flames on the blanket had looked so real he could almost smell smoke. But then, it wasn't his imagination._

_Little snakes of smoke were slithering through the cracks of the door, but he was just a child. How could he have known? He was oblivious to the possible dangers out there in the world. He had been so guarded and protected that the possibilities of such things seemed more like fairytales to him._

_ Zuko pinched his arm, hoping this would awaken him from the horrifying scene that was about to take place, but to no avail. _

_His eyes widened when he saw his younger self's eyes open and stare lazily at the puffs of smoke, blinking. He yawned and rubbed his eyelids out of pure exhaustion. His father had thrown a huge party earlier and didn't permit him to go to bed until after midnight._

_The door to his bedroom opened wide, and a large cloud of smoke erupted into the bedroom like dragon's breath. A figure moved swiftly from the door and to the half-asleep boy._

_She gently shook his drowsy form. "Zuko," she said, in the warmest voice in the world. "My love, hurry."_

_Young Zuko yawned. "Mom...?" he glanced around lazily. "What's going on?"_

_Despite being eight years old, she grabbed him as though he were a toddler and held him tight in her arms as she ran out the door. Zuko followed instinctively, unsure of what else to do but just stand there. The hallway was overwhelmed with heavy black smoke, and his mother had begun to cough. _

_She held her son even tighter, moving frantically toward the next bedroom close to his own. It was empty. She narrowed her eyes and made a growl-like sound. "Ozai must have gotten her," she said. _

_The flames sparked behind threateningly, moving at them like a predator to a helpless prey. Slow and calm, ready to engulf them. Her soft gold eyes widened in horror and she ran fairly fast despite the heavy cargo. Zuko raced after her, feeling a pure sense of dread in his stomach. _

_Almost toxic. _

_She darted down hallways, shouting "OZAI! AZULA! AZULA!" She shook her head, obviously thankful and yet horrified. "They must have gotten out."_

_Zuko's chest tightened when they reached the living room, the flames practically on their heels. The window wouldn't open, since they always locked it at night. She cursed outwardly and glanced around frantically, mumbling to herself about how everything would be alright, about how _he_ would make it._

_She grabbed his sister's violin and thrust it through the window. At once the flames rose higher, but she ignored them. The young Zuko began to cry once the realization hit him as the closing flames licked at his pajamas. His mother yanked him away, putting herself between her son and what threatened him._

_"Shh," his mother soothed gently, stroking his cheek. "It's going to be alright." She started coughing again, clutching her throat._

_"Mom!" both Zuko's said in union._

_"Get out, my love," she said, helping him through the window._

_"What about you?" he sniffed, clutching the sleeve of her scarlet silk robe stubbornly._

_Tears fell from her eyes, sliding down her soot-covered cheek. "Mommy will find a way out," she assured him, gently pushing him out. The coughing continued._

_Zuko's heart twisted in pained agony and he knelt down next to her, longing to hold her. To share her tears. But it was just a memory, nothing more._

_"Mom," he breathed._

_Tears swarmed her face and clutched her sides, curling up into a tight ball._

_Something crashed from down the hallway; most likely the house giving way._

_And then the flames consumed the room..._

Zuko writhed, his pulse quickening, and sweat falling from his brow. He clenched at the leather exterior of the sofa for dear life, his chest rising heavily. He could almost feel the flames on his own skin…burning...sizzling..._pain… _Suddenly he felt something cool touch his cheek and his eyes snapped open to see a shadowy figure kneeling by him.

"You're burning," she said, moving her hand to his forehead. "You okay?"

"Katara?" he said in confusion, sitting up. His whole body was sweaty, and he looked like he had just jumped into a pool. "What time is it? What are you doing here?"

"Three o'clock," she said gently. "I heard you yell all the way from the room."

In the darkness, he could see her smiling. It was comforting, almost like his mother's...

"Just a dream," he said, saying it more to himself than her. "Just a dream..." He ran a hand through his damp hair, his whole body shivering.

She sat on the coffee table, and now that his eyes were adjusting to the darkness he could almost see her almost clearly. She had a sympathetic look on her heart shaped face. Her hands were folded in her lap, legs crossed. She was patiently waiting for him to calm down, and once he had, she asked soothingly,"Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "No," he said firmly, jaw clenched. His hand jumped to his scar, feeling the crisp flesh beneath his fingertips. It was his ugliest feature. Even fans could not deny its unappealing appearance.

She nodded understandingly. "Okay," she whispered, extending her hand to briefly squeeze his. "I'm here if you want to talk, though."

She stood up and stretched. "I like it, by the way."

"Like what?" he grumbled.

"Your scar," she said, walking back to her room, disappearing into the shadows.

He raised his eyebrow and stared at her in bewilderment as she disappeared into the darkness. No one, not even Mai, had ever said they liked his scar, not even his fan-girls. One time, this girl sent him a photo-shopped picture of him without it. No one liked it...

No one except...her...

_Katara...the sapphire..._

"Ah, milyĭ Agni, chto ya poluchil sebe v?" he said under his breath.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor, Zuko! :( I made him watch his mother's death! WHAT TYPE OF PERSON AM I?<strong>

**Zuko: a crazy one.**

**Me: True! :) HOPE YOU ENJOYED! btw, can anyone guess what he said? :p I'll give you a hint: it's Russian...**


	14. Going Somewhere

**AnnaAza: Nice guesses! What he said was, "Good Agni, what have I gotten myself into?" hehehe...:) he certainly will be poor Zuko when Mai finds out. ;)**

* * *

><p>Chapter Fourteen<p>

Going Somewhere

* * *

><p>Joo Dee's Gossip Page Where You're In the Know<p>

* * *

><p>Mystery Women Revealed, And Romance HEATING UP<p>

By Joo Dee

As we all know, a woman named Katara Kalan has just recently won the Zuko X. Agni contest and is going to spend a week with him! Five days have passed, and it has been confirmed this women is the Mystery Women. And of course, we all know that Mai Black is out of town, leaving the two love birds alone together. The two were first seen leaving a club after Zuko punched a young man (perhaps an old lover of his lover) in the face (subject unknown), and departing with his arm around her! On the second day, they went to a charity event, and you could tell by that gaze of his he was HEAD OVER TYPEWRITER! On the third, the two just stayed in, doing some bonding time of their own, no doubt. The next day, they went for a walk around the city. And now, we wait eagerly to see what they will do for their FIFTH day together! We might even catch some pixs of them smooching it up

* * *

><p>Zuko chuckled despite himself and tossed the crumpled up newspaper into the recycle bin. Lovers? He considered this, a small smile falling across his face at the thought of having his arms around her, fingers laced, and eyes locked.<p>

He sighed.

The things he was feeling were not anything he had felt before. It was like every time she was near him everything felt blissful. Even his annoying publisher who kept pestering him about his next book couldn't ruin in. He soon learned how to drown out Azula's constant teasing, the press's gossip, and his uncle's stupid girl advice.

Hell, he even found himself forgetting all about Mai. If it weren't for the pictures on the wall and the occasional phone calls it would have been like she never existed in his life. How could a woman have this affect on him?

It was as if she had cast a siren spell on him. He would lie awake at night, his thoughts on her and what she was dreaming about, longing to know more about her. Despite only knowing each other five days, he felt like he knew her his entire life.

Not only was she beautiful on the outside, but she had the most kind spirit he had ever seen. Her soul was as pure as her ocean eyes and her pearly smile that seemed to brighten even the darkest of moods.

Any man would be blessed to have her in his life. And the fact she was spending a week with him seemed like spending a week in Heaven. No longer did he resent the contest the way he did in the beginning, no more did he feel a wave of panic was over him at the thought of spending a week with this person. Now, it was like being with an angel.

He leaned against the counter and thought about the situation with a little tightening in his chest. Mai. That was all that stood in his way to happiness. But he couldn't consult Iroh on the subject for…reasons.

Sighing heavily, he wondered if she returned his affections. It seemed so, the way she would blush every time she caught him staring, the way she beamed when he asked her to dance at the charity. And the way...the way she had a casual conversations with him, not squealing like a maniac whenever he chuckled at her sarcasm or jokes.

Another thing he admired about her was the way she would play with her hair whenever she was nervous or brooding.

She would grab a small strand and braid it, her brow crinkling together and her lips pursed. He would stare at her in amusement, and she would scoff and roll her eyes when he commented about how cute she looked when she was thinking.

He knew she was waiting for him to snicker at his own joke, but after a minute or two had gone by, she would smile. He loved her smile. It started out small like all things, but grew into something beautiful.

_"You're not so bad yourself," _she would reply, and then gently nudge his shoulder.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. What had he gotten himself into?

**{*}{*}{*}**

Katara yawned, stretching her limbs over the bed. She turned and checked the clock. 7:30. Shower time. She got up and went over to the empty walk-in closet he had permitted her to use while his girlfriend was away on vay-cay.

Unsure of what their events were going to be, she decided upon something sexy-formal-casual, as Jin would put it. She grabbed a pair of torn up blue converse, and a short sleeved shirt with its own hoodie.

Granted, it wasn't entirely formal, but she didn't care much. She would rather be comfy than sexy any day. She hummed Katy Perry's "Hot n Cold" as she made her way to the bathroom when her cell phone went off. Surprising since none of her friends called her this early. She raised her eyebrows and set her clothes down on the made up bed (she still hadn't used the covers).

**SOKKA**

Read on the screen, and she found herself hesitating. Please, no. Surely her brother hadn't learned of what was happening in the life of his sister. He would be incapable of reading it, anyway. Her father forbade them to read such "deceitful lies told by greedy liars" under his roof.

Her throat clenched.

What if someone had told her? No, none of her friends would tell him. She sighed softly, calming her eccentric nerves. Maybe he was just calling to see how broken-hearted Jin was doing. She crossed her fingers and _prayed _that was the case.

"Hi, Sok," Katara said sweetly. "What can I do for ya?"

"Evil servant of Ganondorf!" his voice came out sharp and slightly slurred, like he had just recently spent a good portion of his time with a bottle of cactus juice. "How dare you lie to Father and go to live with some guy!"

"What?" she asked in confusion, dread washing over her.

"How could you go behind Dad's back like that?" he roared.

"Wait—how did you find out?"

She heard him scoff. "Jin told me—"

"_What_?" Katara shook her head in disbelief. "She would never tell you."

"Technically she didn't say it directly, but I knew," he said like he was the smartest man alive. "She was flirting with Haru, and told him her place was empty-"

"Shut up," Katara said, shuddering. _Traitor. _"Does Dad know?" she asked, concerned.

If her father knew about her whereabouts, she would be beyond dead. Despite being legally an adult and capable of making her own decisions, she still held her father in high regard, usually making sure he approved of something before doing it. It was just a natural habit she never got out of.

"Not _yet_..."

"Look, bro, I'm twenty-one, I have the right to stay here if I choose." She scowled.

Sokka huffed out of annoyance. "Look, you should have at least ASKED! How would you feel if your future daughter went to live with some guy without telling you?"

He proved a point, but still. "I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "But Jin talked me into it—"

"That explains it. How long till you leave?"

"Today is day five, so two," she said sadly, wishing it would last longer.

"Yeah, well…I'M TELLING DAD!" His voice came out whiny and childish, similar to how he used to say when he was a kid. Like the time she broke her grandmother's vase by mistake.

"NO!" she said frantically, blanching. "If you stay quiet for at least forty-eight hours, I will buy you a month's worth of cactus juice."

There was a pause.

"Extra caffeine?"

"Um, sure."

"Done."

_Click._

She sighed with relief. If she knew anything about her brother, it was that he would do anything for cactus juice; it was his weakness and craving. She held the phone for a second before tossing it to the bed.

She wiped her forehead, hating how hot it got in California. She was more of a cold clement girl.

Anyway, she went over to the stalker-window and opened it up so that a gentle breeze could caress her face like a lover, and lift strands of her hair. She closed her eyes, savoring the gentle feeling and pretending it was him.

Foolish to do so, but it could not be helped. Five days. Could it only take five days to fall head over heels? Perhaps, since Jin fell in love on a weekly basis. But this was different then a temporary fling, it was...incredible. As if when you're with this person you have no problems, worries, or concerns, like your life is perfect.

Imagining a life without him was like imagining a life without breathing.

She sighed. Even now it was impossible. Both were from entirely different worlds, different backgrounds. He was rich and famous, she was poor and normal. Basically you're typical girl next door. Nothing was special about her, but him...no words could describe how she felt...

Shaking her head, she scoffed at her ridiculous feelings and pretending the wind was _him_. But despite herself, she stood there a little longer, savoring every—

The door opened, and she jumped in surprise, eyes snapping open to see it was him standing there, fully dressed and ready to start the day. While she was still in her pajamas, which consisted of black boy shorts and a blue tank top and a pair of moon socks. She hastily folded her arms across her chest, providing extra protection.

To her shock, he brought his hand over his eyes. Good to know he wasn't a pervert or anything and respected her. But she still kept her arms locked.

"May I help you?" she asked, her voice shaking with embarrassment.

"Umm..." He turned his back to her and cleared his throat. "Sorry."

She smirked. "Didn't your mother teach you how to knock?" she teased.

He stiffened, and she sensed she had pressed the wrong button and hastily added, "What do you need?"

"I, uh...there's a party tonight-"

"Right-o," she sighed. "I'm guessing a hoodie is out of the question."

He shrugged indifferently. "Wear what you like. It's a casual occasion."

She eyed his red dress shirt and black jeans carefully. "Then explain yourself, mister," she said, pointing an accusing finger at him while placing the other hand on her hip.

He turned his head slightly, his eyes drifting briefly at her legs. _Good Agni I'm doomed, _he thought. He cleared his throat awkwardly and she raised her eyebrow.

"Cute pose," he said, smirking. "It's also a color coordinated thing. Do you own anything red?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "I don't know. Let me check." she went back into the closet.

"Will you need assistance?" he teased.

She scoffed, poking her head through the door. "I am perfectly capable of choosing my own clothes, Mr. Agni."

She pursed her lips and tapped them with her index finger, running her gaze along the possible attire for tonight. Something formal yet casual. Practically everything in her clothing choice consisted of blue, white, or purple—nothing red.

"Find anything?

"You are either here to help your check out my legs," she said, followed by a lingering eye roll.

He smiled sheepishly. "Perhaps both," he said. He gave her clothing choice a quick glance. "I took the liberty of purchasing you one," he said casually.

"Then, why—?"

"It was a backup in case you didn't have anything red to wear," he said kindly. "I wasn't sure what size you wear so I had to take my best guess."

"Oh, uh, thank you."

He shrugged nonchalantly, and then departed from the room like it was no big deal.

Blushing, she walked out of the closet and stared in bewilderment at the dress that lay before her. It was short yet tasteful, a brilliant shade of scarlet that would go lovely with her mocha skin. It was sleeveless. Below the bodice there were beads of dark burgundy and bloody red and gold sewn into the fabric, snaking itself three times around.

While the top was a tad too tight for her liking, the bottom was loose and swishy and would no doubt sashay gracefully when she moved. And beside the dress, there was a pair of black pumps. She gulped, her skin blanching. She had never worn high heels much in her life, only a few times before, but never had she rocked them the way she wished.

She prayed that the dress would distract people away from the shoes.

Great, she thought, a stumbling, falling idiot alongside the graceful and handsome writer. What a combo.

Shaking her head, she walked into the bathroom.

Parties had become a common thing, nothing special like the magazines had described them to be. While most people would kill to get into these parties, Katara would have gladly given it to them without hesitation. The novelty of meeting celebrities was starting to wear off, and each party was starting to resemble the last.

Also, they were relatively boring once you got passed the initial thrill of the new experience.

The skies soon turned a dusky blue and the two left the apartment, arms linked (mostly to ensure she didn't fall over flat on her face), and went down to the limo. After the first few days, people had grown used to having her around; like she had been living there since forever.

Some waved politely while others just ignored them instead of staring like a creepy stalker. The limo played soft music, starting off with "Make Up" by Jesse McCartney. Although he would never openly admit it, Zuko obviously _hated_ Jesse. But to please her, he played it anyway. This was a good—very good—sign...

_"I wanna see when I wakeup-wakeup-wakeup,_" Katara sang along softly, grinning broadly at his eye roll and scoff. "What type of party is this again?" she asked curiously.

"The usual," he said with a shrug. "Nothing really interesting about it, really, other than the fact it's hosted by Sean Kingston. He's a fan of my work, you see. I think he made a music video for one of my movies—"

"Sean Kingston?" she gasped, eyes wide. "I saw him on _The Suite Life on Deck_—he's awesome!" she paused, realizing she had just told him she liked a Disney Channel show, but he didn't seem to notice that part.

"Uh," she quickly backtracked, blushing. "I'm a fan of his, er, work. My brother too. Perhaps more than he should."

"Maybe I can arrange a date for your brother," he said. "Or would you like to have him for yourself?"

She nibbled on her lower lip. "No thanks on my part," she said, smiling. "But Sokka just might take you up on that."

It was quite obvious which club Sean Kingston was throwing his bash at, because his music was blaring so loudly she was positive that even the penguins in Antarctica could hear him.

Being a gentleman, Zuko opened the door for her and offered his arm. She took it gratefully as she stumbled like a giraffe on ice skates. After getting passed the big, bulky guy in black at the entryway, they entered, only to be met by a blast of music.

Sean was singing "Dumb" while an army of fan girls were squealing and fainting and trying to climb onto the table he was on. Security looked tight and stiff, but they still bobbed their heads. At once the flashing lights caused her eyes to sting and head to ache. Despite all the bashes they had attended, she could not get over it.

She brushed her hand across the red dress to smooth out the wrinkles and felt a few gazes fall upon her, in either awe or jealousy. She wasn't sure, and quite frankly she didn't care. She felt him wrap an arm around her waist and bring her over to the bar, whispering in her ear, "I will be right back—"

"You're leaving me alone?" she questioned, confused. What if Jet came back?

He shook his head, pointing toward the person next to her. "She'll watch you."

The girl turned her head lazily toward Katara and scoffed, rolling her shining golden eyes that sparkled beautifully in the light.

"I don't need a babysitter," Katara said through gritted teeth.

"Obviously not." Zuko's eyes briefly flashed, and she understood what he meant. "I need to have a quick discussion with my publisher, so please, stay here."

She looked back at the raven haired girl suspiciously.

"Don't worry," Zuko said, tucking his hands in his pockets as he walked away, "she doesn't bite." He whipped the girl a quick look, eyes narrowed. She responded with a scoff and a flick of her wrist.

There was an awkward silence as the writer abandoned the helpless college girl in the hands of who she could only presume was either a devil or an angel.

"You must be Azula Agni," Katara said, smiling kindly, and extending her hand.

Rolling her eyes again, Azula shook it. "Charmed," she said, pursing her ruby lips. She ran her perfectly manicured finger around the rim of her wine glass, a smirk slowly drifting across her face like a shadow.

"So…you live in Paris," Katara said, attempting to make small talk while Zuko was off talking to Long Feng, wherever he was.

"Oui."

"That's cool. So, um, are you here alone or are you with your boyfriend?"

"Zhao is at the hotel, hung-over," Azula replied curtly, snapping her fingers at the bartender. He returned quickly, sweat glazed over his forehead, as he refilled her wineglass. "Anything to drink?" she offered.

"No thank you."

Smirking wryly, she said, "Very well. I suppose you are still nauseated from all the other nights of restless partying."

At once, Katara decided she did not like this girl. She was like a rattle snake, her words venom. "I don't drink."

Azula shrugged, peering over her shoulder to eye a group of boys checking them out. "Neither do I at the best of times."

Katara seriously doubted that.

"Zuko speaks very highly of you."

_Now, I really doubt THAT, _Katara thought, frowning.

"Tell me," Azula cooed, like they were old friends catching up. "How have you enjoyed living with my brother?"

Katara's eyes narrowed, some part of her was succumbing to the silver-tongue, willing to dish about every detail of her incredible days with him. But the more sensible part was telling her to be cautious, and choose her words carefully. Otherwise they would backfire immensely.

She briefly thought about their father, Ozai Rex Agni, and his fame and fortune and business. One does not simply get such things by good looks alone, so it became clear that his daughter had picked up on a few business tricks. Pretend to make nice, and learn about ones enemy. Katara had read somewhere in a tabloid that there was a slight feud between the brother and sister.

"He's nice," she decided up, pretending to buy her little game. "He's been very sweet to me since I arrived."

She cocked her eyebrow. "Dear Zuzu, sweet? Hon, how long _have _you been kept in the dark?" She sipped her wine, licking her lips.

"What do you mean?" Katara asked, panic pulsing through her veins.

Azula sighed ruefully, as if she sympathized for her. "He hasn't told you about any of it, has he? I should have suspected that." She paused, reached into her clutch, and quickly dabbed some of her signature matte red lipstick, and then continued.

"I thought they were rumors, actually," she said, drumming her fingers on the counter. "When he saw you at the movie premiere, apparently he was deeply fascinated. I've been hearing a rumor that he rigged the contest so that you would be the one to win—"

"That's impossible. He would have no way of knowing I entered."

"Why wouldn't you?" Azula asked quickly, attempting to slither her way inside her head. "You clearly caught his eye at the premiere, and you seemed just as…entranced."

"Why would he even waste his time?" Katara demanded sharply, teeth grazing her lower lip.

"He's just looking for a whore to replace dear Mai while she's away. I guess you feet the bill when he saw you at the movie thing." Shaking her head, she went on, ignoring the startled girl's expression. "A young, cute poor girl would be an easy hit-and-run target, don't you agree?"

Katara gulped, heat rising up her neck. There was no way she was going to let this spoiled brat interrogate her like that. "What would you know?" she snarled viciously. "You're just a little spoiled brat dating some old man."

She shrugged. "True," she mused, unaffected. "But at least I have the upper hand on our relationship." She smirked. "He hasn't told you anything, has he? All his deepest, darkest secrets..."

Katara shivered, hugging herself nervously and eyes wide as saucers. Now she just knew that Azula was trying to scare her, but she couldn't help but let the words affect her the way they were meant to.

"He's not like that."

"We'll see."

Before she could respond, Zuko had returned. "Would you like to go somewhere with me?" he whispered in her ear.

Away from the female equivalent of Hannibal Lecter? Heck, yeah. She nodded timidly, relief overcoming her at the thought of finally being able to escape the icy words of his sister.

His arm around her waist, he brought her away from the bar, but not before Katara could hear Azula whisper in a faint, yet clear, voice, "Don't say I didn't warn you..."

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR.<strong>

**I gave Azula more screen time than I did before I edited the chapter. After watching Silence of the Lambs with my brothers, I realized just how much Hannibal was similiar to Azula, so I put in a little of that character in her. As well as a bit of The Joker from The Dark Knight. Sorry if she's a little OC, I just always have trouble writing her. Anyway, TTFN PEACE OUT STAY TUNED!**


	15. Safe Haven

****miss quirky bookworm: lol! :) She certainly is, but despite that, she's still awesome! X)****

* * *

><p>Chapter Fifteen<p>

Safe Haven

Zuko was honestly confused.

Katara was shaking like a Chihuahua, and every three seconds would glance up at him with a mix of suspicion and disbelief in her eyes. She was trying to mask it with a casual poker face, but failing miserably.

Well, she had been talking to his sister, but surely she wouldn't say anything that bad that would affect her in such a manner. He shook his head. No, Azula would do anything to make people fear her. And if she couldn't succeed in that (on those rare occasions), she would paint others in a sinister light.

He made a mental note of contacting his sister late on and question her on what she said or did that had made Katara so skittish. Or maybe it wasn't his sister. Maybe it was the fear that the punk would come back for revenge.

As they walked out of the club, a new expression flashed across her face. Instead of a limo waiting for them, it was a motorcycle. A glossy Harley Davidson, with two helmets on the seat.

Her eyebrows traveled up her forehead, in danger of being lost in her lush hair. "What's this?" she asked curiously.

"My bike," he said with a smile, and handed her a red helmet that went very nice with her dress.

It was on the very rare occasions he was able to take it out for a spin, and this would be one of them. Mai thought it was loud and useless. He thought it was a thrill ride.

Hesitant, she took it into her hands. "And why is it here?" she asked, a little more nervous now that curious.

He smirked. "These parties always get out of hand at one point—I figured we could leave before that happens," he said, shrugging.

"And...where are we going?" she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, her lovely lips set in a tight line.

"A place."

Still watching him with a tight gaze, she climbed awkwardly onto the bike, fidgeting in her dress and glaring at him from time to time. "You planned this, didn't you?" she asked, gesturing toward the bike and short attire.

He smiled sheepishly. "Nope, not at all. Put on your helmet," he ordered.

He got onto the bike and felt her arms cling tightly to him. Obviously she had never been on a bike before, by the way she was silently praying under her breath. The motorcycle came to life, roaring like thunder (almost overpowering the music from inside), and swerved down the road, past cars, random people, and the typical homeless guy with the "THE END IS NEAR" sign on his chest. The moon's silvery glow was enchanting in the blackness of the night sky, with over a million stars twinkling. The bike moved swiftly, only a shadow amidst the city.

He could feel her clinging onto him for dear life, quite afraid. He just smiled. There was nothing to be afraid of, riding on a motorcycle at night after just coming from a hardcore Sean Kingston bash. All natural.

His thoughts abruptly drifted back to Azula. What _had_ his little sister said to scare her so much?

Knowing her, anything. Perhaps he could get some answers out of Katara later on. Maybe it had been a bad idea, leaving her with his little sister, but she was the only person he knew (besides a few celebrities he would rather not know) who he could possibly trust. Well, that may have been a huge mistake.

He made a corner down the street, and the blaring honks and shouts were gone, everything abruptly consumed by silence. Except for the roar of the motorcycle. Her grip tightened when the bike went faster, to a point where if you blinked, you would have missed them coming.

After a few more twists and turns, they finally reached it. He stopped the motorcycle on top of a hill, and next to it was old, creaky stairs that he had deemed untrustworthy. Katara pulled off her helmet and her eyes widened at the sight.

The ocean was a dusky blue, reflecting the bright light of the moon and creating a mysterious glow that would place anyone in a trance. The sand was pristine, no traces of garbage.

Very haunting.

"What is this place?" she whispered, dazed.

"My safe haven," he answered. "I come here whenever I have writer's block-"

"Why is it so _clean_?"

"I had this part of the beach closed off for my own purposes," he said sheepishly. "They'll open it again, once my book is published..."

"You can do that?" she raised her eyebrows and gave him a half-smile.

"As long as I take pictures with them and sign their books. No big deal."

She rolled her eyes.

Removing her pumps with a satisfied sigh, she started walking down the stairs despite his warnings about how they may cause serious splinters—but she didn't seem fearful. Why should she when her feet don't even touch the ground?

He followed after her, ignoring the little jabs his feet were suffering on the old wood but kept a straight face. He watched as she sat down close to the water so that it would brush gently at her feet, and a smile fell across her serene face. He admired the way the moonlight added a haunting glow to her already beautiful eyes, and the way the wind lifted up strands of her hair and carried it.

All in all, she looked like an angel. He sat beside her, and everything went quiet. Everything from the city was drowned out by the gentle waves and the wind that brushed against their skin. From the corner of his eye, he watched her.

The way she closed her eyes and cherished every moment, the way she threw her neck back, and the way a peaceful smile danced across her face. A smile one would give upon greeting an old friend.

"I've always loved the ocean," she said softly, opening her eyes and looking at him. "My whole family does, actually." She giggled. "I guess you could say I have salt water in my veins."

He smiled. "Why is that?" he asked curiously.

"Both my parents were from Hawaii. Sort of. My dad was born in Alaska, raised in Hawaii. My mom's parents were from Alaska too, but she was born and raised in Hawaii," she told him, smiling. "She was a pro-surfer, won a lot of contests..."

"What happened?"

"She met my father. He was, er, attempting to surf and she taught him a few moves. By the end of the day—"

"They were in love?"

"Nope. He asked her out, but she already had a boyfriend," she said, rolling her eyes and smirking. "Few months later they breakup, my mom dates my dad, and bing-bang-boom she gives up her surfing career to be with him, soon after, my idiot brother is born." She sighed heavily. "Then I came along and we had to move here."

"I'm glad you did," he said before he could stop himself. If she were still in Hawaii, possibly surfing the waves, he would never have gotten his chance to know her. Well, he would have, since his family had plans to visit Hawaii…that is, before his mother's tragic death.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Me too."

"Carry on."

"Anyway, we lived at the Cala Inn with my GranGran and grandfather, but soon after they handed over the business to my father, old and weary. Sometimes I and my brother would stay up late to see if we could find the ghost of my great-something grandmother Cala." She smiled fondly. "Years later, we've graduated high school and set out to begin our lives."

Her smile dissolved into a smirk and she said, "I've told you my back story, not it is your turn, _Zuzu_."

Zuko frowned. "I never agreed to that."

"True," she said, playfully hitting his shoulder. "But you've got no choice."

"So you're basically forcing me against my will?"

She shrugged innocently, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yup. But I'm guessing you'll sugarcoat it and make stuff up. That is, after all, what you do for a living." She nudged his arm again, giggling.

"I probably would," he agreed, chuckling. "But you already know everything about me. Surely your friend Jin must've Googled me—"

"Yes. She just looked up the basics, though, so it wouldn't be insanely awkward." She tapped her jaw. "I know your dad is CEO of some large company, your uncle owns a teashop in China, your sister lives in Paris, and you're a world famous writer."

"See? You know everything," he said, letting himself flop onto the sandy shore.

"No, just the outer rim," she argued. "I don't know what's really on the inside."

He didn't respond.

"You don't have to say anything—"

He lifted his hand, silencing her. With a heavy sigh, he propped himself up on his elbows and stared intently into her sapphire eyes thoughtfully. They stared for a long moment, and finally he cleared his throat and began. He would do anything to please her, and besides, he wouldn't tell her everything. Just the bits and pieces that could easily be found on Google.

"Well, my father was Ozai Rex Agni, as you know. He...he wasn't exactly the best father in the world..." he hesitated, but by her nod of encouragement he went on. "My mom was studying to become a lawyer, since that's what her parents wanted to her to do with her life. They met at StarBucks, just simple bystanders to each other. But their orders got mixed up, you see-"

"That's romantic," she said, sighing dreamily.

He half-smiled. "And, um, he asked her out on a date with him, and she agreed. Before she found out who he was. Three months later, they were engaged. Got married, moved to Phoenix, Arizona, had me and Azula, and then..." he paused, gulping down the lump that was forming in his throat. "Our house was set on fire by an unknown cause. Everyone escaped except for my mother."

Katara's eyes widened and she placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh, Zuko," she said, blinking back tears. "I'm so sorry." She lowered her gaze toward the ocean. "I lost my mom too."

There had been surprise, and guilt. Regret filled her eyes as she stared into his, ruefully hitting herself mentally for having forced him to bring up such tragic memories. But she shared his pain, unfortunately aware of the heart-wrenching pain.

"I'm sorry."

"The bank was being robbed, by some guy the police identified as Yon Rha. My mom was murdered, along with several others." She cleared her throat, rubbing her eyes to hide the brimming tears.

He placed a comforting arm around her shoulder, unsure of what else to do. He understood her pain about losing her mother, as he lost his. They sat in silence, but it was heavenly. He blushed when he felt her head on his shoulder, her strawberry scented shampoo attacking his senses.

Suddenly she lifted her head slightly, and their eyes locked with each other. Sapphires met ambers.

Unaware of what he was doing, he leaned in and placed his lips on hers in a gentle kiss. A collision of fire and ice. He felt her hesitate at first, but soon returned it with the same tenderness. She tasted mint-vanilla (most likely due to flavored lip gloss).

It was...blissful. They both leaned in to deepen the kiss, and he felt her hands on his neck. His hand crept up to tangle in her lush hair while the other fell upon her slender waist. His mind was clouded as his heart revved in his chest, pushing through his ribcage—

Reality struck him hard and he pulled away.

"I'm sorry," he said, staring at her flushed face. "That was out of line for me to..."

She shook her head, braiding a strand of her hair. "No, _I'm_ sorry. I should have...I...you have a girlfriend," she said, eyes shadowing. "I should have respected that."

Zuko frowned. He hated that mournful look in her eyes, blaming herself when it had been him who started it. He was the one who had sparked the flame, even at their first meeting. He couldn't let her carry the thought she had broken up a man and his "love". She had to know the truth, no matter how much it hurt.

"I don't love Mai, Katara. It's blackmail."

She turned her head and frowned at him, eyes narrowed with sudden suspicion. "Blackmail?"

He nodded.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded furiously, glaring daggers. "Is this just some lie?" Suspicion clouded her eyes, sharpened by curiosity.

"I wish it was, but it is not." He closed his eyes and exhaled.

"Explain," she demanded.

He began willingly, though hesitant in the beginning. "My father was always a greedy and selfish bastard, and would do anything to gain more power and riches. Even use his own children to his advantage. Ozai befriended a very wealthy man named Gerald Black, son of a wealthy businessman, much like my father—"

"I see where this is going." Katara huffed, stretching her legs over the sand and adjusting her skirt accordingly before turning back to him. "Your father forced you into dating Mai, correct?"

He nodded. "Indeed. But it went deeper than just desiring more money. At the time, Agni Inc. had financial issues, so my father needed to make as many friends-with-benefits as possible. He figured the relationship would be stronger if the two 'friends' had reasons to be close." He laughed darkly at his past misery. "I dated Mai for nearly two years while in high school, and at that point I decided enough was enough. So, after school, I returned home and spoke my mind.

"I went to my father and told me that I was going to break up with Mai, and that I wouldn't play part in his game. I'm no pawn. That got my father's attention, and we flew into a heated argument. And I just _cracked_. I saw nothing but blinding light and each word I roared was a curse followed by hatred. I'm…not sure how long it lasted…but by the time I had stormed out of his office, it was after one. I was desperate, livid, and boiling with agonizing anger. I needed to relieve the pain—"

"Wait."

He stopped, looking at her expectantly.

Katara looked slightly confused. "Your father honestly cared more about money than his own son? No father is that cruel, Zuko."

"Clearly you've never met Ozai."

"And I don't think I'd want to." She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed softly. "Carry on. How did you relieve your pain?"

He plopped onto the sand and closed his eyes, letting the words flow out. "At the time, my uncle was living in Phoenix, so I decided to seek out his council. I needed help. I was just so furious and…desperate. I felt cornered." He swallowed mournfully. "It was far too late for me to drive. I was boiling in my anger, weary from the argument, and in no condition to drive. I was so tired, so furious…I closed my eyes, and then—" He stopped himself before he could continue. He couldn't say it—he could barely _think _it.

He opened his eyes and looked at her to guarantee she understood his silence. Her eyes widened, but she remained quiet, egging him to continue.

So he did, with much regret. "I called 911, but they couldn't save him. He was dead. The scene never went public, Ozai made sure of that. It was bad enough with the finical problems; the last thing Agni Inc. needed was a bloodstain on their record. Or, at least, that's what he had said. All the regret and shame began building up inside of me. I grew depressed, and I started taking up the practice of…harming myself."

Katara gasped loudly and reached out to grab his hands. Pulling back the sleeves, she studied his wrists with careful eyes, studying every detail despite the darkness. There were very thin lines, barely noticeable. She stared at him with disbelief.

"One year later and I was still with Mai. I didn't have the courage to do so. I had been torn down, and I was in a really bad position at the time. One night, as we were sitting by my family's pool, we started to drink. To drown out my depression I had much more than I needed to, and then things got worse. I started slurring about how I had killed a man by mistake, and how I wanted to breakup with her. I don't remember saying these things. But I woke up the next morning with a recorder to my face and a glaring girlfriend."

"Stop!"

She shot to her feet, staring down at him with side eyes, her whole body trembling with rage. Snarling, she began to pace back and forth across the shore, cursing under her breath as he watched with amusement. She would occasionally pause to stare at him, but it only lasted a second before she began the process all over again.

He felt a sense of relief for telling her these things. Like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His only hope was that she would understand. If she did not, he wouldn't be angry. In truth, he barely understood himself.

He waited for her to calm down before asking quietly, "Are you alright?"

"She didn't—!" Katara almost shouted. "She blackmailed you…! She told you that she would tell everyone you're a murderer—uh, sorry…that you accidentally hurt someone and have her father cut off all ties to Agni Inc. Am I correct?"

He nodded again. "Yes."

"That…that…witch!" she said, seething. "And you put up with her for all these years?"

"Yes," he said, shrugging. Sighing heavily, he rested his head on his folded arms, eyes closing. He wanted the conversation to drop like it had never happened.

She must have realized this because she stopped her seething and went to rest beside him. Katara stared at him for a long time before saying in a soft monotone, "Zuko ... Je crois que je commence à tomber en amour avec vous." She knew he couldn't understand French.

He just nodded.

Shaking her head, she lied down next to him and was surprised when she felt him wrap an arm around her. No longer did she believe Azula's petty lies. She only believed one thing: that she was falling in love with a blackmailed writer. Let the drama begin, she thought, and then closed her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>After reading over the previous blackmailing bit, I groaned. It felt rushed and didn't really make much sense, so I changed it up a bit and made it longer. Also, I wanted to add a little more hatred towards Ozai by making him the main cause of Zuko's misery. I just wanted to make the realtionship a little more complex. So, I hope you enjoyed!<strong>


	16. The Cala Inn

**Wolfie2500: That's right! :)**

**AnnaAza: Ooooh, I love your suggestions. (raises evil eyebrow)**

**Hi, guys! I hope you enjoy his next chapter! Review, please!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Sixteen<p>

The Cala Inn

B_eepbeepbeepbeep_

Zuko's hand stretched out to hit his alarm clock as it rang out. But the only thing his hand came in contact with was a powdery substance, yet somewhat rough. His eyes opened slowly as the rays of the rising sun stung them with its beautiful glow.

He yawned loudly, stretching. He felt no sheets or the comfort of his bed, only the same substance and something heavy on his shoulder. He lazily turned his head and saw her laying there, his arm draped around her and her head on his shoulder. What the—

His eyes snapped open.

He realized grimly they weren't back at the apartment, but at the beach. Memories flooded his head of the past events that had taken place, and he blushed burgundy when he remembered that marvelous kiss they had shared under the moonlight, and how he had told her everything about his situation with Mai.

Yet it seemed distant in his mind, more a faint dream than an actual memory. Pulled from his thoughts by that beeping, he looked up, sitting up slightly, and saw some old man holding a metal detector over his face.

To his dismay, the old man was his uncle, who wore his usual smile and childish glint in his eyes.

What on earth was his uncle doing here so early? He glanced over at the ocean quickly, seeing the sun over the horizon. The skies were tinted orange with traces of lavender etched into the light clouds. It was a picture of beauty. But, unlike any other time, he could not appreciate it seeing as how his uncle was standing over them with that stupid _thing_.

"Uncle, what the hell are you doing here?" he hissed, trying to keep his voice low to avoid waking her up. But, sadly, his uncle didn't get the message.

"Lookin' for some metal, obviously!" he boomed. "But it seems I've stumbled across the LOVE NEST!"

Katara stirred under his arm and her eyes slowly opened, blinking when coming into contact with the light. She yawned silently. "Whaaaaa?"

Iroh beamed. "How adorable," he cooed. "Wish I'd brought my camera…but I left in it China." He grunted at his misfortune, but Zuko silently rejoiced.

He felt Katara sit up beside him and glance uneasily around, like any second the world was going to explode. Her hair, once lush and smooth, was tangled and speckled with sand like sprinkles. She looked at his uncle with now slightly narrowed eyes and a confused expression.

"What time is it?" she asked, her voice becoming clear through the sleepiness. She rubbed her eyes.

Iroh checked his Pokemon watch. "Nearly five," he said, frowning. "I'm surprised you slept through it!"

It was Zuko's turn to frown. "Slept through what?"

Iroh rolled his eyes like it should have been obvious, making a grunt of annoyance. "The pictures, of course!" he waved his hand. "Some nice people wanted to catch some pix of you, but knew that they couldn't enter the beach without permission from an Agni. Naturally they asked me when I was coming back from the singles club and paid me fifty bucks to let 'em on!" He grinned broadly. "So, I rented this nice metal detector, purchased this bathing suit..."

Zuko opened his mouth to snarl, but sadly his eyes traveled to what exactly his uncle was wearing, and quickly regretted it. It was a bright red, faded speedo that looked way too tight from his fat uncle.

His hand dashed over Katara's innocent eyes, and he glanced up hastily, his mind scarred just as painfully as his eye. "Why would you let them take pictures of us?" he managed to croak out in disgust.

"It was just pictures, Zuko," his uncle said. "Besides, fifty bucks! How could I deny that? Besides, I got this awesome tattoo!"

He turned around, exposing his back, which glinted with sweat. On it, was a dragon with a '70s outfit doing the disco. Despite being a kind soul, his uncle could be weird to the extremes.

"Why would you want a dragon tattoo on your back, Uncle?"

"Why would I not? That is the question here, nephew." Iroh winked and pulled his sunglasses down to his eyes, casually walking away with the detector beeping like mad.

Zuko stood up slowly, advising Katara to keep her eyes closed. Taking her hand, he guided her towards the stares, flashing his uncle a death-glare as they walked up the steps, ignoring the splinters their feet were suffering. He wanted to get them out of there as soon as possible before the city woke up, and before some more of those bloodsucking paparazzi showed.

He handed her the pumps, with a look of resentment toward them on her face. As she was brushing the sand out of his hair, he did the gossip-math in his head. No, they would not publish the pictures today, since Joo Dee needed time to form an idiotic story in that devious mind of hers to go with it. Most likely tomorrow or the next day, but either way he was doomed.

He was hanging on by a thread as it was, and the last thing he wanted was for Mai to see the pictures of them "resting next to each other" on the sand and assume the worst. He started the bike and it released a mighty roar.

As they did last night, they swerved down the streets but this time they were not cloaked by the cover of darkness, and the people who were awake were glaring.

And for those who had been asleep before their rude awakening, shouted many curse words at them, unknowing they were shouting at a famous writer. If they were aware, he was sure they would throw themselves out of their windows and attack him. But right now he didn't have time to worry about his fans. Because currently, his primary goal was the get the both of them back to the apartment.

**{*}{*}{*}**

After a long, refreshing shower, Katara finally managed to get the sand off her body and out of her hair. Sadly, she had somehow gotten a nasty rash on the back of her leg. She applied some cream to the itchy skin that tormented her and pulled on some jeans and one of her favorite shirts. A cheetah blue print tank top.

Running her fingers through her hair, she studied her face carefully, analyzing. Her cheeks were flushed, by what she wasn't sure. Could I have been due to their encounter with Iroh? Their night spent together on the beach? Her growing feelings?

In the living room, she could hear him flipping through the channels. She sighed, knowing he was searching for any news on what had happened. She blushed at the thought of having her picture taking while sleeping.

What if they recorded them? Her skin paled. What if...what if she _snored? _That would be a seriously unattractive sight, and no doubt her life would be over and she would have to change her face and go into hiding for the rest of her days. She shook her head at the idiocy she had formulated in her awkward brain.

She didn't snore—she knew this because of the time Jin had videotaped her napping on the job at the family inn.

Running a brush through her damp hair until it was as smooth as silk (or at least), she went out into the living room. She had already figured the whole apartment out, and it was beginning to feel more and more like home to her. She could seriously picture herself living there forever with him. But that's all it was: a picture in her mind. There was no chance in a million years it would ever come true.

And besides, she wouldn't risk it even if it were possible. Because of that little issue that lingered in her mind…

Mai was blackmailing him for something he didn't mean to do, and if it went public...She froze. Her heart stopped in mid-beat. No doubt Mai Black would manipulate the truth, making the situation even more complex than it really was. Like he was drinking and driving.

She would somehow make everyone take her side, thus scarring Zuko's life while she does not have to suffer the consequences for her actions. But would they believe her was the question. Zuko, on one hand, was an international bestselling author (described as the next Stephen King).

Mai's father was a famous director long before Zuko's time, and had made many friends in the field who could help his daughter out with her issue on the boyfriend.

Katara thought about the infamous financial issues with Agni Inc., and how it had blemished their near-to-perfection. Well, now they were back on track and Ozai really didn't need Gerald as a "friend-with-benefits" (as Zuko put it), and would no doubt take his son's side (though not out of fatherly love). But if that friendship was lost and Agni Inc. endured a huge blow…

She sighed heavily, knowing either way Mai would win. She would either get her man or watch Agni Inc. possibly burn. It was truly a problem.

Katara entered the living room, leaning against the uncomfortable couch as Zuko finally landed on the news network. The whole thing was just like Brad, Jennifer, and Angelina. But she was the culprit, the one who pulled a "Angelina" on Mai, stealing away her loved one.

She stared blankly at the screen, watching as the man told the story of a soldier who served for nearly two years in Iraq finally came home to his family. The video was touching and would have made her cry, had she not felt so paranoid.

"Nothing, thank God," he said to himself, frowning. "But they might come around..."

Katara furrowed her brow and pursed her lips in thought. The paparazzi would know to come here to find them, and would most likely ask them very uncomfortable questions about their "love affair".

So what if they weren't here? Sure, it might cause a small scene, but at least they would be away from all the chaos and drama for a short period of time, for their last day together.

Or could it? Mai was on a fifteen day family reunion on a cruise, and so far they had nine more days until she returned. Would they be able to spend that time together, or was he tired of her already? She shoved that negative thought out of her mind and focused on the positive.

"But what if we're not around?" she questioned.

He regarded her with a look of amusement. "Hmm?"

Katara perched herself on the arm of the sofa, finding it a very uncomfortable position but ignored it, trying to look as serious as possible as if discussing a life or death matter. "What if we leave your apartment for a while?" she said, lifting her chin up a little in a regal manner. "We could go somewhere private where people won't bug us."

Zuko raised his eyebrow, chuckling. He stared at her as though she were a child who was suggesting they take a free trip to Disney World. "As tempting as that is—"

"My family's inn," she went on, ignoring him. "The Cala Inn. I could ask them to keep it private while you're staying there—it could be...fun..." She furrowed her brow together, not in thought, but skeptically.

"If Mai finds out—" he started, a dead serious look shadowing across his once cheerful face.

"I know you're afraid of her," Katara said, standing up. He opened his mouth to protest but she went on. "Or not. Either way, you can't let her keep you down forever. This is your life and you deserve to live it. Besides...I would like to spend a little more time with you without the lights and parties and whatnot..." she blushed scarlet red, embarrassed. But by his warm smile she had the courage to go on. "Also, it's in a really quiet, peaceful place. It might help you get over your writer's block."

He cocked his head curiously to the side, a smile creeping at his lips and a look of consideration tinting in his amber eyes. She crossed her fingers behind her back. She wanted to spend more time with him, even if it meant him getting into trouble.

She knew it was a selfish act, but she couldn't help it. Her entire life she had been looking out for others, taking care of their wants and needs. Well, now she wanted to be with him, and that's going to happen even if it kills her. And if worse comes to worse, she would take the blame if Mai came calling.

She had never wanted something this much before, and nor had she _felt _this blistering pain in her chest, both stinging and...thrilling. Kind of like a horror movie. You love it yet you hate it at the same time. But mainly she loved it, the way the butterflies fluttered in her stomach, the way her mind went light whenever he was near.

And the overwhelming feeling she had felt when he kissed her. Out of line? Hardly. That had been the most blissful moment of her entire life, every touch and feel. The way he gently kissed...it wasn't at all rough or demanding like Jet's had been during their relationship. It was...chaste...gentle...tender...sweet...and completely breathtaking.

"You prove a point," he said, and she hadn't realized it, but he had moved forward so that she was standing in front of her. "I suppose it would be fun being normal for a while." He smiled sheepishly, causing her to blush. "But I won't come in as Zuko Xavier Agni—I'll just be plain Zuko Andrew Mason."

She smirked. "Come up with that on the spot, did you?" she teased. "Must be one of the advantages to being a writer."

He shook his head. "No, that's my real name."

"What?" she was confused now.

"When my great-grandfather Sozin started his business, he wanted a name that stood out. He did research and discovered the mythical goddess of fire, Agni. He loved the name so he changed his. From then on, we have been known as the Agni's, not the Masons."

"Why change your middle name, though?" she asked, confused.

"My publisher thought Andrew was boring. Zuko Andrew Agni isn't very catchy. So he told me to find something unique and I did. Xavier." He smiled and shrugged casually.

"Uh-huh," she said, shaking her head skeptically. "Is there anything else I need to know about you, Mr. Mason?"

"Nope—at least not now. But what about the guests at this inn or yours?"

"At the inn? Fear not, my friend," she said cheerfully. "I shall protect you from those evil fan-girls."

He raised a skeptic eyebrow. "...very well," he sighed. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as you get packed up," she said, turning on her heel and down the hallway. "And for the record, I really like Zuko Andrew Mason a whole lot better."

"You'd be the first," she heard him murmur in awe.

**{*}{*}{*}**

Lapasii Lake was extremely beautiful during noon, when the sun was high. The water sparkled like a thousand diamonds and the lily pads floated gracefully atop the surface, the silvery white petals standing out against the sapphire water.

The grass was emerald green and swayed with the wind, and up ahead was the Cala Inn. It was an old building, built back in Victorian days. Its ruffled walls, once a pure white, were now dimming into a haunting grey. The windows were large and open, though small enough to ensure privacy to the guests.

There were no other buildings nearby so it was secluded and peaceful.

But on a high price.

Since it wasn't close to civilization, not too many people aware of it, and would much rather visit some five-star, high-class hotel. But those who did were quite pleased and left generous tips. The building was surrounded by a white picket fence with a large garden in the backyard.

There was a pond with two koi fish and a large tree for shade.

It had once been a great house, owned by the rich, but now was a simple inn. If walls could talk, this house would most likely have a century's worth of stories.

As a child, Katara often found herself tapping the walls and whispering, asking small questions about the previous guests and what her relatives had been like. But no answers came. Not that she cared now. Who wanted to live in a talking house, anyway?

Zuko's eyes nearly bulged in amazement at the sight that lay before him, the incredible building and the fine art to it. At first a little skeptic about this, he now felt relieved he had agreed to come with her. On the lake, he saw a swan moving gracefully across the water, sitting proud.

Oh yes, he was going to very much like this place. A new change of scenery. As they walked up the porch, he wrapped an arm around her. No one was there, he was sure. The windows were blank with no sign of life, there was only two cars in the parking lot, and the only light came from the lobby.

He gulped.

He wasn't about to let some fan or whatever person ruin his time with her, so he had to man up. They walked into the lobby, and he found it rather...cozy. Unlike home, this place had very soft colors, soothing to the eye. The walls were periwinkle, one of his mother's favorite colors.

And sitting in the chairs, he saw two figures with mocha skin playing Battleship. They looked intent and hardcore, totally captivated in their game, as if a single word would determine the fate of mankind.

"Umm, B-4," the younger man with the ponytail said. He looked about twenty-four or younger.

The older man, unaware of the two standing a few feet away from them, groaned. "Hit. You win."

The young man flung his arms into the air and shouted, "I AM THE SMARTEST MAN ALIVE!"

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><p><strong>What do you think, guys? IS Sokka the smartest man alive? Let me know. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review. TTFN GUYS!<strong>

**I AM A GUMMY BEAR! :D**

**Forgive me, that was incredibly random...**


	17. Sinking In Deep

**AnnaAza: Yes. Yes she is. :)**

**rock n element: Awww, shucks! Thank you so much! :D**

**Hi my fellow Zutarians, welcome to another episode of INSPIRATION! lol jk!**

**I hope you like this chapter, so...enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Avatar. Would I like to? YES! So I could create Zutara. But sadly, I cannot. What a world, what a world!**

**Anyway, I got that "I AM THE SMARTEST MAN ALIVE!" line from Billy Madison, starring Adam Sandler. I thought it fit Sokka. ^_^**

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><p>Chapter Seventeen<p>

Sinking In Deep

Katara slapped her forehead. Of all times, NOW her father and brother choose to play Battleship and act like idiots? Why was it when she decided to bring a boy home, her family suddenly decided to act mentally challenged? It was as if they had little machines in their brains that told them when a boy was near, and what they could do to embarrass her.

What made it worse was that Sokka had leapt to his feet and was doing his "I just kicked your butt" dance, which basically was a combination of the chicken dance, an Irish Jig, and someone having a seizure.

She glanced up reluctantly up at the writer. She expected him to have a look of horror and race out of the inn in a hysterical frenzy.

But instead, he looked intrigued. As to be expected when half of his characters in his books were actually stranger than her family. But still. At the time, he was just writing them, and could decide what they would be like. This was reality…unfortunately.

She sighed softly with relief and looked over at the idiot brother who was attempting to do the worm while Hakoda merely scowled in annoyance, with a little envy in his eyes since his body couldn't move like that anymore.

There were two ways this was going to end. The first way: very, very, very badly in which she will be disowned or worse. But the other way would be the good way, in which he forgives her for listening to Jin and lying to him.

Sokka turned his head and his eyes bulged. Hakoda did the same.

"Who is this, sweetie?" he managed through gritted teeth upon seeing the arm wrapped around her slender waist.

_He doesn't know who he is_, she thought. _But what if the idiot tells him? _"Dad, this is Zuko Mason," she said. "He's staying at the inn for a while—"

"Oh, wonderful," her father sneered, waving a hand at his son. "Go check Mr. Mason is, Sok."

Sokka, whose narrowed eyes still lingered on them, nodded and moved behind the desk and started to slowly type. He would glance up occasionally to stare at them. But she felt a twinge of relief when he zipped his lips and jerked his head toward their father.

Hakoda stood tall, the beads in his surfer hair clicking suspiciously in a tune that resembled JAWS. "So, Mr. Mason, may I ask why you are staying here?"

She and Zuko exchanged looks, and he nodded his head slightly, agreeing through his eyes to the small lie they had formulated in the car incase Hakoda was unaware of his identity.

"I'm an artist," he said casually. "I wanted a peaceful location to practice instead of the crowded city—and your lovely daughter recommended this place."

Katara smiled when he winked down at her, her cheeks turning a small shade of pink.

"Oh!" Sokka said obnoxiously. "So you're basically like that Leonardo Dicaprio guy, right?"

"Oh, how nice," Hakoda said without any trace of enthusiasm. "But I do hope you don't paint anything disgusting, or try anything on my 'lovely daughter', because if you do I will murder you. Brutally. Believe me, I know how. I watch _Criminal Minds_."

Katara's eyes widened.

_This_ was the reason she never dated; because she was afraid her father would threaten them like he just did now. But surprisingly Zuko looked unaffected; his polite smile still on his face, but there was something in his eyes, something smirk-like.

"I can assure you, Mr. Kalan," he said. "I paint landscapes, sir. Not people. Also, I respect your daughter, so you have nothing to fear."

Hakoda's eyes started to twitch, and he was obviously trying to figure out some sort of comeback without offending his beloved daughter. Behind the counter Sokka said, "All done! Okay, '_Mr. Mason Dude_'"—behind his father's back, he did air quotes—"your room is number 16—"

"CHANGE IT!" Hakoda roared. "I WILL NOT HAVE HIM SLEEP ANYWHERE NEAR MY INNOCENT DAUGHTER!"

"Dad—" Katara began, voice tightening with exasperation.

"NO! YOU DO NOT GET IT, MY DAUGHTER! FOR ALL WE KNOW, HE COULD BE SOME FREAK OBSESSED WITH CAPTURING GIRLS TO REGAIN HIS HONOR OR SOMETHING!"

"Daddy-" she began, her voice coming out a growl but was stopped when Zuko lifted his hand to silence her.

"Ne obizhaĭtesʹ, g-n Kalan , no vy sovershenno idiot·skie , chtoby poveritʹ, chto ya by na samom dele pytayut·sya chto-libo na vashem beautiul dochʹ," Zuok said casually, smiling cheerfully like they were having a very pleasant conversation about how "last nights game ended".

Hakoda scowled. "Oh for the love of—Katara, dear, PLEASE tell this young man I do not speak Spanish!"

_Him too? _Isn't there anyone who could actually tell the difference between Russian and Spanish?

Zuko kept a straight face and kept his voice even, despite the fact he wanted to sigh in exasperation and smirk. "Mr. Kalan, I said that I respect your daughter and would in no way do anything to hurt her." He smiled warmly, but still the man's eyes were as cold as ice.

There was a long pause, and Hakoda started pacing the length of the lobby slowly while Sokka munched on some cheetos he had hidden behind the desk. Zuko and Katara's eyes followed his (Hakoda, not Sokka) every movement, both hoping he would agree to let him stay.

Katara bit her lower lip and furrowed her brow together when her father turned his head and growled, "Try anything on my daughter; I will murder you in your sleep." He turned around and departed the room, shouting over his shoulder, "I MEAN IT, YOU LITTLE PUNK! I KNOW PEOPLE! YOU KNOW BILLY JIGSAW? I WAS HIM FOR HALLOWEEN! I STILL HAVE THE COSTUME! NOT TO MENTION THE FACT MY BFF BATO COULD PULL OFF CHUCKY!"

He took a corner down the hall, ranting as he went.

Zuko raised his eyebrows. "What a nice father you have, Katara. I look forward to getting to know him."

**{*}{*}{*}**

The moonlight shimmered off of the dark blue lake, stars glinting beautifully in the sky and the breeze was humming a sweet song. Katara felt much better now that she was back home at the inn on familiar ground. And to be back with her family was rather nice.

And Zuko seemed to be enjoying himself. He showed great admiration towards the Cala Inn and requested she give him a tour the next day so he could see more. And for the first time since she had met him, his shoulders seemed to relax a little. With only a few people staying at the Inn, it was easier for him to breathe.

Especially when they had ignored him upon walking by.

Smiling, she changed into some sweat pants and a turquoise tank top, braiding her hair and allowing to all down her back. With the air conditioner broken, she had opened the windows to let in some of that cool breeze.

She checked her Hello Kitty clock: 8:13.

Already she could hear her brother's obnoxious snoring all the way down the hall, her father talking on the phone downstairs, and sound of the pipes working up.

It was all familiar to her, and it was comforting. Unlike Zuko's apartment, which was visually flawless, the Cala Inn had many problems (possible ghost, pipe issues, broken air conditioner, and so on), but made up for it with kind people, a lovely stay, and a great getaway from the hardships of one's life.

Or at least that's how her mother would put it when Katara would ask why the Cala Inn was so bad yet still had customers.

She glanced around for second, arms folded and a frown on her face. Most likely by now she would asleep, drifting off into the perfection of a dream or the horror of a night. But sleep was seriously not an option; whenever she was paranoid she found herself incapable of slumber.

She was deep within quick sand, and with each struggling lie she was sinking deeper and deeper. What if someone did recognize Zuko? What if her father figured out she had signed up for the contest? What if Sokka broke down and confessed? What if...Hakoda saw something having to do with the picture mishap earlier?

O vey.

She exhaled sharply.

She had to think positive about this. She had to keep her head clean so she could think clearly, unlike her skeptic, sarcastic brother.

A knock came at her door, and she sighed heavily.

Most likely her father checking in on her to make sure she wasn't trying anything. Sometimes he drove her on edge. She opened up the door, expecting to see a stern, comical face staring at her, but instead she saw a pair of kind amber eyes and a sweet expression.

She blushed, her mocha cheeks turning burgundy. Oh for the love off Mike, why did she have to choose sweats and a tank? "Uh, hi, Zuko," she said, opening the door for him and then lunging across the room for her fluffy white robe that was a few sizes too large.

She fixed her hair and cleared her throat at the awkwardness. The only light in the room came from the scented candles she had placed on the window sill and side table. The whole room smelled of the ocean breeze and beach, something that made her remember them together, in an embrace. And that led her to the unpleasant thought of their pictures being taken while they were fast asleep.

"Hello," he said sweetly. He wore a fading red sleeveless shirt and brown sweatpants. His shaggy hair was damp with sweat and his golden eyes seemed to glow like a dragon's in the darkness.

"Hey," she said, not sure of what else to say. "Uhhhh, what are you doing here?"

"I missed you," he said playfully, stepping forward to peck her cheek.

Even though it was quick, it still caused shivers to ripple up and down her spine. Her breathing became uneasy, and her heart started to hurt her ribcage. "My dad might come around," she breathed.

He appeared surprised, raising his eyebrows. "He's too busy ranting downstairs," he said with a shrug. "And—oh...I see. I hope you understand I would never try anything."

She nodded, her voice lost.

"And that I really don't want to get killed in my sleep," he went on, his tinted with a tease.

She nodded again, laughing nervously. "So, d-d-do you need a-anything?" she stuttered out.

"Yes, actually." Zuko briefly peered over his shoulder, gesturing toward the door to his room. He smiled. "And, uh…" his cheeks tinted red. "…do you have a spare key?"

She studied his face for a moment, and then frowned. "Why do you need a spare key?"

"…I locked myself out."

She scoffed at the embarrassment on his face and moved casually over to her desk, tying her robe as she went. Digging through a drawer, she called over her shoulder that it wasn't a big deal. She had done that a million times before. It happened.

She pulled out a credit card and walked passed him and down the hallway. She stopped at his door. Sliding the card down the edge, she jiggled the knob and gave a hard shove. _Click. _The door opened, and she smirked at her triumph, which turned smug when she looked at him.

"There ya go, pretty boy," she said.

"Thank you," he said, looking relieved.

She shrugged casually, and he leaned down to gently kiss her before advancing back into his bedroom.

Katara wasn't sure what possessed her. Maybe it was because he was close, or it was because he smelled like a midsummer night, but whatever the cause didn't matter. What mattered was the fact she had flung her arms around him and was now kissing him.

It surprised even herself, and she questioned her sanity for doing such a dare-devil act when her father could perhaps be standing right there. But it did not matter to her anymore. All that mattered was the fact that they were kissing in the doorway, her arms laced around his neck, clinging onto him as though he were her life slipping away.

She felt him hesitate, but he soon returned the kiss with the same type of exhilarating, mind blowing passion that took her very breath away. Voices shouted in the back of her head, some scolding, others encouraging.

_What are you doing? _the sensible part of her brain questioned furiously. _You're kissing him! With all the drama...are you insane?_

**_Ignore her! _**the reckless part said. **_He's kissing you BACK! He LIKES you! Kiss him, fool!_**

And kiss him she certainly did. Passion grew, and she felt herself melting into it. Her arms tightened around his neck for support when he lifted her up slightly, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, never once breaking this haunting kiss.

Her chest tightened and loosened, her mind racing, her lungs creaming in agonizing pain for air, but she ignored their pleas.

This had to be the best moment of her entire life, and she never wanted to it end. She moaned, and felt his grip tighten. Her heart raced faster and faster, and everything seemed to be spiralin out of—

"Heeeeeeey Kit Kat!" a voice shouted from down the hallway "Sokka sent us a text you were here so we came over for a surprise sleepov—oooooooooooh!"

Their lips broke apart, but were still tangled each others' embraces. They turned their flushed gazes away from one another to where the voice had come from.

Standing there, Song and Jin were holding plastic bags full of goods and backpacks, both in their pajamas.

Jin broke out into a broad grin. "Kit Kat, you baaaaaaad girl!"

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><p><strong>Sorry it's short guys! (sigh)<strong>

**I love writing Jin! She is my fave character to write! :DDDDD Review, please!**


	18. Not What It Looks Like

**AnnaAza: Sadly I did. BUT, fear not, I may add some more Zutara scenes like that later in the story. :) And Mai wouldn't stay at the Cala Inn, it's too small for her liking.**

**Wolfie2500: What are friends for? :) yes, if it had been her father Zuko would have become dead meat. O_o**

**AvidReader4EVR: "evil teenagers"...well, you see, they're considered that because despite their age, they ACT sort of like teenaers. And Katara respects her father enough to ask, despite the fact she is legally an adult. And that's the nickname my brother gave me and my friends. :)**

**AvidReader4EVR: Strange? I totally agree! I've always loved the idea of falling in love with each other through a different language. :) Believe me, I am well aware of the randomess in my story! I lay awake at night just thinking about. I'm just a random person, also I get nervous every time I update a new chapter. (rolls eyess and giggles) The sneaker thing is basically my idea of a party outfit. High heels stink! Sneakers are comfy! I'll probably go through and edit some stuff in the story once it's finished, though. :) Also, I'm so used to writing them as teenagers, I sometimes forget. (rolls eyes and smiles)**

**Here is another chapter!**

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><p>Chapter Eighteen<p>

Not What It Looks Like

Katara jumped off of him, hastily fixing her robe, and in the darkness he could see a blush rising into her face. "This is not what it looks like," she said to the two girls. "It's...er...nothing."

"Really?" the olive toned girl turned to her companion with a wry smirk. "Did _that _look like nothing?"

The redhead ignored her, narrowing her crackling hazel eyes at Katara. Her voice was small, and cracked when she attempted to raise it. "What were you _thinking_? The door was wide open! A child could have passed by! He would have been scarred for life, Tara! Not to mention the fact your father is about to come upstairs to check on—"

"Stop lecturing her about her love life, that's my job," the olive girl said, rolling her bright green eyes to the ceiling.

At this point, Zuko was started to get really annoyed with these two girls. Yes, he understood the fact they just wanted to come over and hang out with a friend they hadn't seen for while, but the fact they weren't going away was really getting to him.

Couldn't they see they wanted to be alone?

Apparently not. To give them a hint, he gave them the infamous "death glare" that worked on everyone. The redhead cringed a little while the other girl just smirked at him and rolled her shoulders as if to say, "bring it on!"

"It's not your job, Jin," Katara sighed in exasperation, bringing her hand to her forehead. She appeared they had had this argument before, but she didn't seem to want to get into it.

Jin beamed, setting the plastic bag down and bringing her fingertips together. "Ahhh, but it is, Kit Kat. For who do you come for when you need looooooove advice?"

Katara's red face turned as white as a sheet. "Uhhhhhhh..."

"EXACTLY!" Jin snapped her fingers to prove her point, and then pointed at herself. "You come to _me_. You know why?"

She didn't answer, her bloodshot eyes filled with annoyance and exasperation. She looked like if she had the energy, then she would strangle the daylights out of this Jin girl. Painfully.

"Because I know more about romance than any of your friends combined—no offence, Song," she added, nothing in her voice indicating an apology.

Song glared. "Only because you've had a bazillion boyfriends in the last twenty-four hours," she retorted, her childlike voice making her words sound innocent

Jin cast her Song a look, silently debating whether or not to retaliate. But she must've decided against it, because she simply shrugged and turned back to Katara. Her voice lacked the confidence it had before, but it quickly returned. "Oh, and this must be dear Zuko Ag—"

"Mason," Katara hissed. "He's Zuko Mason while here."

Jin raised her eyebrows. "Right, 'cause you dad doesn't know who he is and you want to keep it that way," she guessed in a dull monotone like the subject was boring her.

"Nice guess," Katara said, frowning.

"No guess," Song said meekly. "Sokka told us."

"So you knew he was he—"

"Now, Mr. Mason, it is a pleasure to meet you!" Jin interrupted, her voice bubbling over as she studied his features like a trader to a rare curio. "Now, can you take off your shirt? I want see if the pictures are real and not just photo shopped."

"Jin Justice!" Song hissed, smacking her arm.

"Sor-ry," she said, pouting. "But you can't blame me for asking. I mean, look how utterly sexy he is! None of my past ex's can compare to him. Now, about your shirt—"

"JIN!" both girls glared.

"Okay, okay, fine," she sighed, giving up. "Look, Mr. Mason, I know you and Kit Kat were enjoying your 'alone time together'. But I am sorry to say you've gotta leave now. It's time for our SLUMBER PARTY!"

Zuko had no intention of leaving, and planned to stay right where he was. But that Jin girl was strong and shoved him into his bedroom. Next thing he knew, he was on the ground with the door slammed in his face. He stood back up and peered into the hallway, glaring fiercely. But they had already gone into Katara's room, and from what he heard, it sounded like they were arguing.

Sighing, he stepped out of his room and pressed his ear against the door (creepy, yes, but he was curious). The voices were faint and hard to understand, but he managed to make out the fact the words were directed toward Jin. He pulled away, turning to go back into his room.

Maybe it was good that her friends interrupted their...moment.

Before it had gotten out of hand.

And not to mention the fact he forgot to shut the damned door. Song was right; they could have scarred the mind of someone innocent.

The room was consumed in darkness, only a few rays of moonlight beaming through the closed window. Sighing, he leaned against the door and heard footsteps in the hallway. Most likely her father, considering the grunts and curses he heard.

"I will end you," a voice hissed outside his door. "I will come into your dreams with my _Nightmare on Elm Street_ costume..."

Zuko frowned.

Her father was seriously starting to freak him out, and he was becoming a character out of a horror flick. He understood why Hakoda was acting that way—he was a stranger under his roof who had a thing for his daughter. And if he was in the same situation, he would probably act the same. But not nearly as psychotic. Hell, Hakoda was making Norman Bates from _Psycho _look normal

His sealed his eyes shut, blocking all negativity with a wall, and thought about something pleasant. He imagined himself standing with Katara, their lips meeting, embraced...he blushed at the very thought. But as his mind drifted, so did his control.

Hakoda leapt into the fantasy with a shot gun and shouted, "Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" And started to shoot randomly around the room while laughing menacingly.

Zuko hit his head on the wall and the image was gone, but at a high price. He groaned, bringing his hand to his throbbing forehead. That wasn't very bright of him. Sighing heavily, he walked over to his desk where he had placed his red laptop and stared at the dark screen blankly, hands hovered over the keyboard.

He could try writing, figuring something out. Problem: he wasn't sure. Almost every love story was exactly the same, and he wanted to write something new and unique, something that would stand out. Another problem was he was awkward when it came to romance.

Sort of like a kid in his "awkward years". Perhaps this was why people loved his romance novels; they could relate. Granted, he was no Nicolas Sparks, but he could write a fairly well written romance (in truth he had only written three).

He clenched his hands and placed them on his lap, recoiling away from the computer and scowling at it with pure hatred like it was its fault he was having writer's block.

_I hate being a writer, _he thought.

Maybe that wasn't true.

He loved the writing part, the feeling of having created these characters and holding their fate in his hands was an amazing feeling. When he was a teenager, he could write a two-hundred paged book in one week, only because he had the freedom.

But now he had deadlines, annoying publishers, the psychotic fan girls who haunted him in his dreams, the rival writers... Being famous wasn't as...being a world famous writer wasn't as perfect as people made it out to be.

Nor was it easy. Nothing was private, and not to mention the fact his girlfriend was constantly making decisions for him like the contest (which he did not regret), permitting her father to make _I Give You Forever _into a movie while saying he had said yes, the book signings—you get the idea. His life was ruled by people he hated. And yet, they were both the cause of the contest he once loathed, and the cause of him having this time with _her_.

The sapphire.

She was different from other girls; she wasn't the average obnoxious fan girl that would make even Chuck Norris scream like a girl in fright. She...respected him. She teased him without hesitation, she laughed at his jokes (even if they were extremely corny), and she treated him like he _wasn't _famous, like any other guy.

That's what had attracted him to her. Also, her beautiful, expressive eyes. Her smooth mocha skin. And her lush dark chocolaty hair that tumbled gracefully down her back.

He found his face turning as red as a tomato when he remembered their passionate kiss, holding her in his arms, gripping each other like their lives depended on it. His thoughts traveled to what may have perhaps happened had her friends not disrupted their activities.

The thought was very pleasant, and it took every ounce of his strength not to storm out of his room and into hers, but he had tamed himself to hold down such suggestive thoughts. Also he didn't want people to believe he was a pervert or anything. Because he wasn't.

He yawned, massaging his temples with his fingertips, feeling waves of exhaustion crash against him. He would worry about such things tomorrow morning, when he could spend the rest of the day with her. The thought made him smile, and he rested his head on his desk.

His eyes closed.

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><p><strong>I am a terrible person...:( this has to be the most boring chapter in history... I had to make it brief because my mom is nagging me to get off the computer. (sighs sadly) Also, I'm suffering from writer's block. Which I will hopefully get over during my couple day grounding from the computer...:((((( Wish me luck, guys, as I go to battle this evil block! Again, please be kind! Anyways, TTFN!<strong>


	19. Too Cool for School

**AnnaAza: Kya died when Katara was eight and taught her to be a lady, kind and gentle, unlike dear ole daddy and bro. :) Yes, poor, poor, poor Zuko...well, I can't make it easy for him, now can I? }:} (evil grin)**

**G0d3ss0fD1sc0rd: Your dad sounds charming. :) I based Hakoda sort of off my dad, since all dads are protective. But sadly my dad takes it to the extreme...As I was coming downstairs after finish getting ready one time, I heard them talking in the kitchen. I guess while I was upstairs my father took it upon himself to show him his "horror movie" doll collection. Chucky, Billy Jigsaw...and told him if he tried anything he would magically bring them to life to kill him. (-_-)**

**Zutara-Lova8: Awwwwww, thank you so much! (beams happily)**

****G0d3ss0fD1sc0rd: I like portraying Iroh as being the "hip" uncle, and I figured that was the best way to do it! :D****

****G0d3ss0fD1sc0rd: (laughs) I know right? (sighs) I wish he was real...****

****G0d3ss0fD1sc0rd: hehehehhehehe! :)****

****I AM BACK! I managed to get my mom to cancel my computer grounding. (beams happily) Anyway, sorry the last chapter was so...what's the word...?****

****Zuko: Horrid.****

****Iroh: An abomination.****

****Katara: Stupid.****

****Jin: Sexy?****

****Zuko: It COULD have been, no thanks to you!****

****Me: NO! (glares) Anyway, as a prize for your seriously sweet reviews and tolerance, HERE IS AN UPDATE WITH A SUPRISE INSIDE!****

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><p>Chapter Nineteen<p>

Too Cool For School

Katara stepped out of the shower, thinking about the events of last night. Nothing had happened, though she secretly wished it _did_. Everything that had happened until Jin showed up had been blissfully perfect. His kiss made her feel lighter than air, and she felt as though she actually mattered. That she had an important place in the universe. Which was why she had been really ticked off when Jin and Song had pulled her back into her bedroom.

They had argued for about an hour, but after that they made a truce and discussed all that had happened (she left out a few details concerning Zuko, though). It had felt nice to have her friends back. And, in truth, she did thank them for pulling her away. For two reasons.

One: before things could've gotten out of hand. Two: Hakoda had been coming around the corner a millisecond after they had entered her room.

When morning came, they had breakfast in the kitchen, laughing and giggling like a bunch of teenagers again. But soon after Katara told them they had to leave so she could spend some time with Zuko, and then Jin had to go and say some comment that made her blush.

Why was everyone in her life pushy?

Hakoda didn't want her to date and kept her on a tight leash. Jin wanted her to date and told her to bite through the leash. Neither of them were sensible enough to listen to, she had to go by her own instinct.

It was either that or listen to Sokka, which was so not an option. And while Song would try to help, she didn't really understand dating since she was never really into boys. But Katara did value her opinions and suggestions.

Sighing, she ran a towel through her hair, wearing cuffed jeans and a _Team Jacob _T-shirt with her mother's necklace.

She tried to imagine what would have may happened had no one shown up. The thought was very nice, and caused her whole body to flush. But, realizing what she was thinking, shook her head to a point where she was a blender and her brain was the smoothie.

These thoughts were unfamiliar to her, a stranger in her pristine, clean, flawless mind. But despite that this thought was a stranger and she had no idea what it would do, she welcomed it into her brain with open arms. She leaned against the mirror, feeling the coldness against the palm of her hands and stared intently at her reflection.

_Ugh, you are insane, _she told herself.

Katara jumped, the good side of her brain fighting back against the bad.

_You are insane! He's just a guy! Now get your mind together, Katara Lillian Kalan!_

She knew the good side was right, and she certainly shouldn't let this evil thought infect her brain. So, she decided to focus on the positive; it was a beautiful day, the sun was glowing with all its might and he skies were crystal clear.

And she had the whole day to hang out with him, with hopefully no harassments from her father or brother. She beamed, glowing just as brilliantly as the sun, when she saw him standing by the lakeside.

With a broad grin, she ran out of her room, wet, tangled dark hair trailing behind her like a flag. She shoved rudely past guests without an apology, causing them to glare fiercely at her but she was just too excited to even notice there were other people.

"Keep your pepper spray on you at all times!" Hakoda called over his shoulder as she passed.

She giggled as she felt wet, slippery grass on her bare feet as she ran toward him. This was so ridiculous, acting like a love-sick idiot. She stopped when she saw a notebook in his hand and a pencil in the other.

Her broad grin turned sly and she tip-toed towards him, arms raised so that she could scare him like her father did many times to her as a child.

"It's very rude to sneak up on people," he said, without turning.

She raised her eyebrows. How could he have noticed her? "I guess," she said, moving to stand next to him. She peered down at what he was drawing and raised her eyebrows. "Uhhh, why is that guy's hands on fire?"

"He's Firebending," Zuko said casually.

"Wuh?" she stared at him in pure confusion. What silly idea had he formed in that head of his?

He smirked. "I like the idea of bending," he said. "Being able to control earth, water, fire, and air."

"You're silly," she said.

He smiled sweetly like what she had said was the most flattering thing anyone had ever said to him. "Maybe one day someone will be able to Firebend or whatnot."

She snorted. "This is the type of stuff you'd seen in Naruto or some other anime cartoon."

He chuckled, shaking his head like she was the crazy one. "Do not defy things without logic to them, Miss Kalan. For things even with logic make no sense at all—"

"You make no sense at all," she said, rolling her eyes.

What an idea! As silly as it was, she admired the concept, being able to do such amazing things. Her eyes drifted toward the water, and she could almost picture it lifting up higher and higher with the movements of her wrist. Wouldn't it be fun? Sadly, this was not the way the world was: this was reality, and no matter how hard she wished it would never change.

One could dream, though. But for now, she would save her dreams for when she was asleep, not wasting them when it was such a beautiful day.

He said nothing, but he was beaming like she had given him a great compliment.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked shyly.

He nodded. "Of course, anything." He closed the notebook and tucked the pencil in his pocket.

"Where did you get your scar?" she leaned forward to touch it.

He flinched when her fingertips made contact with his scar, and pulled away. She furrowed her brow together, slightly hurt by this act. He remained silent, his golden gaze hardening. She nibbled on her lower lip at the awkwardness of the moment.

His once straight face went into one of great annoyance, possibly anger, but didn't make eye-contact. "None of your business," he exhaled sharply through gritted teeth.

Blushing, she went out to fix her mistake. "I am so sorry," she said. "I-I-I, I didn't realize...I mean..."

Everyone had their secrets, she knew, but for some odd reason...she always wanted to know. Perhaps it was because she wanted to help them. She was never sure, but she was aware of the fact that she could be pushy about it. She offered him a small smile in hopes that it would lighten the mood, but his face remained cold, eyes unblinking, and jaw clenched.

She could tell by his eyes he was brooding, over what...she was unsure. But she dared not ask, not wanting to offend him any further.

They watched the lake together for a long minute, just standing in silence. Birds chirped in the trees, the breeze ruffled her hair, the water sparkled, and everything was at peace. That is, until a very loud and obnoxious noise came from the inn.

"What the hell was that?" Zuko said, turning.

It came again.

"That would be my very mature brother and father having a burping contest," Katara said with a huff. "Either that or Sokka ate pickles."

"Um, lovely."

Back when her mother was alive, she had forbidden them from ever doing such disgusting acts like fart contests, burping contests, and stuff like that, but they found loopholes. Like whenever the girls would leave for mother-daughter bonding time, they would do their little games, videotape them, and put them on their YouTube account.

But despite the fact her mother acted disgusted, she would giggle, hug them, and say, "Better out then in, but with men, not so much."

That comment would always crack Katara up, and she would say it every time a boy let one rip during school. That is, until her mother's untimely demise.

Sadly, Katara sighed and shook her head. She turned he attention toward a figure it a short jean skirt and green tank top with chin length auburn hair walking up the steps, being greeted by her immature brother.

"Suki Greene is paying dear Sok a visit," she said, smirking. How her brother managed to get head-cheerleader of Kyoshi University was unbelievable.

But somehow it happened. Sort of like a fish falling in love with a bird, and creating some mutant baby that would be a horror to the universe. Sokka spawn...no thank you!

"That's your brother's _girlfriend_?" Zuko's eyes widened in disbelief and shock. "How'd he get a catch like her?"

"Excuse me?" Katara said sweetly.

"Uh, I mean...her beauty compared to yours is like comparing a common cat to a mighty tiger."

"Nice save," Katara said, rolling her eyes. "Though I'm a little offended."

"That wasn't very good, huh?" he said, blushing. "You'd think as a writer I'd be able to come up with something more romantic."

Smiling, she pecked his cheek. "True, but it was sweet."

"Do I get a reward for my sweetness?"

"You just got it," she smirked, hitting his arm playfully. "Huh?"

She frowned when she heard honking and saw a long, graceful glossy black limo pulling up, one she knew very well. A large smile fell across her face and she beamed as a family of three came out of the limo and walked into the inn.

Without any warning, she darted forward, trailing after them with enough happiness to make Dora the Explorer look like an emo.

From behind the desk, her father both smiled and grimaced.

"Ah, Mr. Lao Bei Fong," he said dryly, looking down at the computer screen. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Hakoda Kalan," Lao greeted in the same tone.

"The usual, I presume," her father said, already typing.

"Indeed." Lao sniffed indignity and studied his surroundings with a little bit hatred.

Katara stepped forward, smiling hysterically.

The young girl in the family turned her head.

She was petite, though if you called her that she would surely destroy you into a pulp. She wore a white blouse, a green skirt, and black shoes. Her skin was milky like she had spent a great deal of time out of the sun, and her hair was the most beautiful shade of black, glistening like the night sky by the rays of sunlight that beamed through the open windows.

It was held in a tall bun, though a few strands hung in her face. Not that she cared, of course.

Her eyes. They were glassy and the color of mint chocolate chip ice cream, unmoving. Despite being nineteen, she was still under her parents' "care" (aka, control). A sly grin fell across her face, the famous smile everyone either grew to love or fear. With Katara it was both.

She excused herself and walked over.

"Wazzup, sugar queen?" she said, folding her arms. She started to fidget in the outfit her parents insisted upon her wearing, them being rich and needed a good public name.

Katara, who loathed that irksome nickname, ignored it and smiled. It had been months since she'd seen her best friend."I missed you, Toph. Where have you been hiding?"

"I've been locked away in the dungeons of Azkaban, which is located in the wonderful land of Oz," Toph said flatly. "Where do you think I was?"

Toph lived in a lavish house in LA, place she loathed with a burning passion greater than the sun.

"Oh...how's school?" she tried again.

"I'm too cool for school, sugar queen," Toph said, leaning against the wall. "Though, if you must know, I am still living with my parents even though I graduated high school a while ago. The ceremony was _dull_, seeing as how I was the _only_ person there. Gah, I hate home-school," she mumbled.

"Can't be that bad," Katara said, though she expected the answer.

"Not bad? Sheesh, Katara, you're ignorant."

Katara opened her mouth but knew Toph would just counter with a snarky comment.

"Now, do you have the back-up?" Toph whispered after a moment silence.

Katara nodded, but felt idiotic when she remembered Toph could not see. "It's upstairs."

"Good." She glanced over her shoulder and said, "Hey, Mom, I'm gonna hang out with Katara for a while, okay?"

Poppy frowned, turning toward her husband to see if he approved of this. Seeing as how he was occupied, she said, "Alright, dear. Just be careful. And watch your step."

"Noo problem," Toph muttered, and the wryly smirked.

**{*}{*}{*}**

_"Finally!"_

Toph walked out of the bathroom, no longer wearing the fancy, itchy clothes she had been wearing before. But now she wore baggy brown cargos, barefoot, and a green jersey. Her hair was now held in a high ponytail, her jagged bangs now freely hanging over her blank eyes.

Ever since they were young, Katara had always kept "the back-up" clothes hidden in her closet in case Toph ever came by so that she didn't have to spend the whole time in her itchy attire. Katara had more than once offered her own clothes, but Toph commented they were too sweet. Even thoughts he had never technically seen them.

"So much better," Toph said, satisfied, then sniffed. "Ew. I smell and overdose of perfume. Let me guess, Jin came over."

"Uh-huh."

Toph shuddered. "Can we get out of here? I so do not want to wind up smelling like a drama queen."

"Fine." Katara frowned. "Uh-oh."

"What?"

"Zuko!" Katara felt her face light up like a Christmas tree. "I forgot him!"

"Zuko? Why does that name sound familiar?" Toph beamed, suddenly interested. "So that's why Jin came over. To ruin your love life. Typical."

"More or less," Katara said, grabbing her friend's hand. "C'mon. Let me introduce you."

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><p><strong>Suki and Toph...yay! :D Here is my question for YOU guys: Would you like to be an Airbender, Waterbender, Firebender, or Earthbender? Me? I would be a Waterbender. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed, so yeah...and, um, sorry I took so long. Review please! And if you all MUST know, Jin and Toph are frienemies. TTFN! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW PLEASE<strong>


	20. Uncle's Words of Pure Wisdom

**black rose-raven angel: Don't worry about it! :) if it makes you feel better, I had a similiar situation. Except...(blushes)...I fell asleep on a date during a movie ("Iron Man"). O_o...anyway, thanks again for another sweet review! Firebender? That would be awesome! :DDD TTFN!**

**love me: Why thank you, love me! :) Waterbending IS seriously rad! Get it? Rad! Surfer talk! Water...(crickets chirp).. I based Hakoda off of my father, you see. :) And Zuko...what is out of character about him, might I ask? (raises curious eyebrow) Until next time! :D PEACE OUT!**

**black rose-raven angel: omg...I made you cry? (hands tissue) Forgive me! lol fear not, I shall not tell you are past your bedtime. ;) !_! Thank you soooo much!**

**AnnaAza: LOLOLOLOLOLOL! None taken! -~- He is a weirdo sometimes! Funny you should mention that, though. My dad actually tried to talk me into being a nun for Halloween. (shakes head) Yup! Dear Zuzu has created ! (music in the background!) lol And yup, Toph has made her way into the story! :D**

**sprzk: Whatevs. :)**

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><p>Chapter Twenty<p>

Uncle's Words Of Pure Wisdom

Zuko was stunned. One moment he and Katara were having a romantic moment and then she randomly darted away, making a beeline toward the inn where a couple and child were making their way in. He stared, wondering what was so special about them, what would cause her to race at them like a powerful lioness toward a baby Giselle.

Was she a gold-digger? Impossible! That wasn't like her; she was not anything like other girls he had met at parties, book signings, and random locations.

He squinted, and noticed a tall man who had an arm draped around the petite girl's. Empty eyes stared blankly ahead, crease between her eyes and a scowl on her face. With a jolting kick in his stomach, he realized who they were.

The Bei Fongs.

Indeed, he was well aware of who they were. They ranked number seven on the world's richest family list. He had met them several times, introduced by Gerald "Governor" Black.

Apparently Lao Bei Fong was a friend from college who helped fund one of his first motion pictures. He was a sour man, with little interest in charities and associating with people of the lower class. And he even held his daughter back on her social life. What was her name again?

Tuff? Tong?

Anyway, when they had met, the girl was distant and silent. Though when her father would speak of her blindness and about her as if she were a fragile porcelain doll, her jaw would clench, her eyes would tighten, and she would turn her gaze away.

At one point, when she sat alone at a table, he asked her if she needed anything. She replied in a stiff tone, yet spoke casually. "A new life."

But that didn't explain why Katara had just run off like that. Come to think of it, what in Spirit's sake were they doing here? Nothing against the Cala Inn, which he was quite fond of, but the fact it was a quiet and peaceful place that lacked the luxury that rich people were accustomed to.

Perhaps the fact it wasn't overly crowded and a friendly place, a perfect place for a rich, overprotective family to take their blind "helpless" daughter. Or at least they claimed she was so.

Zuko believed that was a loud of rubbish.

Being so deeply captivated within his own thoughts, he barely heard the sound of footsteps nearing him. His head was turned toward the lake, head slightly cocked, and a sigh escaping his lips.

Maybe Katara had to be there, to be the personal slave of the Bei Fong Family. He grimaced at the very thought. He wouldn't passed the Bei Fongs to do such a thing. They had done it quite a few times before during charities and other events. He would rather light himself of fire than watch her be treated in such a manner.

"Zuko!" he felt a hand touch his shoulder and he jumped in surprise, being torn away from his thoughts like he was being pulled out of the riptide.

"Hmm..." he blinked a few times, and saw Katara standing there with the Bei Fong girl, now dressed in a tomboyish manner.

"This is Toph, my best friend," Katara said, grinning. "Toph, this is Zuko—"

"I know that voice…" The girl, Toph was her name, stared right past him, her startled expression turning into a smirk. "We talkin' about sparky? The guy who's dating Bella Swan?"

"Her name is Mai," Zuko said stiffly. "And I'm not technically with her."

Toph shook her head, causing her bangs to sway like a hula dancer. "Because, let me guess, you like sugar queen." She jabbed her thumb in her direction. "How adorable. Call me when Mai finds out so I can listen to her beat you up." Beaming, she added cheerfully, "Nothing better than listening to a guy getting beat up by a girl."

Zuko glared at her, though through her blind eyes she could not see it so it had little effect on her. Not that it would have anyway had she had eyesight. He glanced uneasily at Katara, bewildered that a girl like her could possibly be friends with Toph Bei Fong. A sweet, kind, selfless, yet poor, girl friends with the loud, snarky, sarcastic, tomboyish rich blind girl. It was truly astonishing.

"Or have you already broken up with her and I've missed it?"

Zuko frowned, his lips in a tight line. "I...she is unaware. Or she is and has refused to call me." _Thank goodness._

"Too bad," Toph huffed, tucking her hands in the pockets of her cargos.

"Yes, it _is _too bad," Zuko said coldly. "Also too bad you're too short."

Her once playful domineer turned as still and stiff as stone, eyes tightening, hands balling up into fists. He merely smirked. What harm could a little girl possibly do to him?

She lunged at him and hit him in the stomach. For a blind, petite girl she was pretty tuff. His arm wrapped around his pained stomach, and he felt as if he had just been hit by a boulder. He stared at her smug smile.

He glared, wondering what was going on in that evil mind of hers. "That hurt," he groaned.

Toph snorted. "What? Big,, strong guy like you gonna fall back to a...petite girl like me? Sounds to me like you're scared, sparky."

He blocked out her snarky taunting, sealing his mind away from it all. His uncle had always told him keeping a level head was a sign of a good leader, so he was making a feeble attempt of doing so. But this girl was making it very hard. In a way, she was like a mini-Azula, only minus the demonic possession.

"Dragon caught your tongue, hothead?" Toph went on as he remained silent.

"No, not at all," he replied, keeping his voice even much to the disappointment of the nineteen year old. "Though I wish it would catch yours."

"Buuurn!" Toph said in a mocking voice and rolled her blank eyes. "You really showed me."

"ENOUGH!" Katara glared at them, her fiery stare going back and forth between the two. "You're acting like children!"

"Takes one to know one," Toph mumbled.

"Toph Sally Bei Fong," Katara said in a firm voice. "Behave."

Toph glared, pointing a finger at her face only inches from her eyeball, and wiggled threateningly. "If you value your life, you will _not_ call me Sally again. And also, you're not my _mom_." She stomped her bare foot on the slippery grass, though the act was to show annoyance, it caused her to slip and fall on her back.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked in concern, reaching down to assist.

Toph smacked the helping hand away, though Zuko was startled how she knew were to smack, and stood up, slipping and sliding like she was on an ice skating rink.

She managed to get to her feet while to salvage what little dignity she had left. She glared at her again, and stormed back toward the inn, fists ball up at her sides.

"I better go talk to her," Katara said, shaking her head, already walking off. "I'll be right back."

"And I'll just...wait here."

Honestly, how many times was he going to be ditched today? He shook his head, wondering what goes through a girl's mind, like what really drives her to do what she does. He had already decoded a few girls, but only a little.

He figured Toph was the way she was because she wanted to show she wasn't entirely ruled by her parents, and that she had a mind of her own. And Katara...obviously, after her mother's death, she felt she needed to be the glue. But he only knew about them because he _knew_ them, unlike other random people.

Although he would never admit it, he wanted to know the back-story of everyone he met, since he was a writer and needed to know these things...for some odd reason. But he couldn't very well go up to some random person and say, "Hey, random person I have never met before! Tell me your back-story!"

Way off topic...

His cell phone buzzed in his pocket, and he felt like he had just swallowed a lemon whole. It was none other than his girlfriend. Oh joy...

"Hi, Mai," he said awkwardly. They had not spoken in quite some time, and he had nearly forgotten about her.

"Hey yourself," she said, and he heard someone talking in the background, and then a giggle. "Listen, I have good news and bad news."

He frowned. Knowing her, the bad news would be good to her and the good news would be bad to her. It was a very complicated process. "Let's hear the bad first," he said, wanting to get it over with.

"I've had a sucktacular trip."

"Too bad. The good news?"

"I'm coming home early."

Zuko choked on air and started coughing out of control. Holy _shit_. His "girlfriend" could not be coming home early, she couldn't! He regained control of his breathing and managed to find his voice in the ocean of horror. "Uhhh, when?" He tried to sound at least a little pleased about her news, but it just came out as a monotone.

"Hold." he heard her set down the phone and voices were whispering quickly, followed by a croaking giggle and a chuckle. "Between two and three days. Dunno."

He was doomed, so very, very doomed...

"Bye, Zuko."

Zuko tucked the phone in his pocket and started pacing, shaking his head. Surely she wouldn't be returning so early, surely family reunions were longer. But, then again, her family wasn't exactly social and pleasant.

But what was he to do? What was he to tell Katara? He was just starting to have powerful feelings for her, beyond a common crush. It was as if he had found his soul mate, as cheesy as that sounds. He couldn't afford to lose her so soon.

Mai would soon learn, unless she already knew, about their growing relationship and threaten to tell the world of his mistakes, of his stories. But...did that all really matter? When it came down to this...

What did he care about his writing career, or what people thought about him? Who cared? Certainly not him! Not anymore, at least.

He would rather die a hated man with the girl he loved than to live loved with someone he hated. When it came down to this, he realized everything that had troubled him was no longer important.

Hell, Mai could announce to the world every mistake he made in his past and he wouldn't care. But despite this, he needed advice. And he only knew of one person who could help him now, no matter how much he wished to avoid it.

He couldn't fight this battle without some backup, and while this particular person wasn't far for the means of war, he could supply some battle strategies to help him win.

"Wazzzzup, my brotha from anotha motha," Iroh said into the phone, the sound of Hillary Duff in the background

Zuko sighed, and started telling his uncle everything in a single breath, everything from Mai's blackmail to Mai coming home early, and then stopped for breath. This was the first time he was telling his uncle any of this, and he feared what the initial reaction would be. Iroh, while a child inside and out, could be very serious and take things on high regard when called for. So, most likely, he would be scolded and then receive some of that famous advice—

"You're doomed," Iroh said, and then a slurping sound followed. "Ah, ya gotta love cherry slushies."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," he sighed heavily, wishing he hadn't jinxed it. "How do I handle it?"

"Simple: hire someone to, ahem, 'take care' of Mai. Hint, hint. Wink, wink."

"Seriously?"

"Sure. There was this girl in high school, and she wouldn't date me because she was dating someone else. So I hired someone with a samurai sword to—"

"Stop right there." The last thing Zuko wanted was one of his uncle's weird stories.

"Sorry, my nephew," Iroh said, growing serious. "But you should do what you think is right. Perhaps talk to Katara about it."

"Uncle—"

"Just don't discuss this matter over tea, dear nephew. Because, no offence, you suck at it. It tastes like nothing more than hot leaf juice."

Zuko sighed in exasperation. "Uncle, that's what all tea is."

"How could a member of my own family say something so horrible!"

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if this chapter was, what is the word I am looking for?<strong>

**Zuko: Lame.**

**Katara: Weird.**

**Toph: Creepy.**

**Iroh: Awesome!**

**Mai: Sucktacular.**

**Me: -_-**

**Anyway, sorry again. Please review and leave me your thoughts. Okay, question: what is the worst advice you have EVER recieved? Me? When my brother told me to "get involved with football" to get my crush to notice me. Long story short, I took a football to the nose. -_- Anyway, TTFN! LUV U**


	21. Burns

**AnnaAza: Flee into the sunset...since Zuko is a writer that would be cool...slash Mai's tires? I very much admire that idea! }:} lol jk**

**Light1172: Iroh scares me too. (Pats shoulder) Indeed Mai is. And Toph...she was, and always will be, AWESOME. :) Zuko is in deep doodoo on his part. And believe me, I know my chapters have been better. I'm recoving from a bad case of writer's block, so...yeah. My, my, what a charming brother you, er, have. No offence! I know exactly what you mean. I grew up with SIX brothers. -_- ugh...**

**black rose-raven angel: You're welcome! And anytime! :) Ouch...O_o...that sounds like it hurt. But if it's any consolation, I know your pain. Anyway, yes, Zuko is "doomed", in Iroh's words. Oh, believe me, you don't want to know! Iroh can be a little...odd at times. Haha! Word of advice: Iron Man isn't exactly the best movie to choose for a date. O_o TTFN!**

**love me: Hi! I suppose he was (considers). Yeah, he was, huh? It will all make sense later in the story why he is so angsty. :) Whoa. O_o. So you basically have a whole lot of bodyguards, huh? I know the feeling...six older brothers...-_-...and thanks! Don't worry, I am sure she will recieve her just rewards. Yes, even Zuko said, "You have no passion for anything! You're just a big BLAH!" (words of wisdom, Zuzu...) Waterbending is pretty cool (haha! Get it, since the South and North Pole is cold! crickets chirp), but it would also be fun to be an Earthbender since we all know how Toph ROCKS! (more crickets chirp) Thanks! And TTFN!**

**Hi, guys! Okay, so we're going to learn more about a certain someone today! Warning: Katara motheringness coming up.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-One<p>

Burns

Toph had outrun Katara, and now she was lost somewhere in the building, and the Bei Fongs would kill her if they found out she lost their daughter. Okay, maybe not kill. Sue, perhaps. She hoped Toph had not gotten herself into too much trouble, and wasn't hurt.

Goodness knows what situation she could be in, being blind and all. Spirits, what if she had fallen down stairs! Panic pulsed in her veins, mind racing and her heart pumping.

"T-Toph!" she called, her voice reaching a new octave. "Where are you?"

No response.

She gulped hard. Ugh this was so not good, not good at all. She was going to be dead meat. How hard was it to find her, anyway? Toph was blind, and she was unaware of the exact locations of the inn. She looked in all the locations she had assumed Toph would be hiding in, but she was nowhere to be found.

She briefly thought about what Toph had told her when they were children. About how she could see with her feet. At first she had assumed the notion to be rubbish, but she had proved herself eerily on many occasions. Maybe this was going to be one of them.

"Katara."

She turned, hoping it was her, but frowned when she saw it was just Zuko.

"Oh, it's you," she sighed, displeased.

He raised his eyebrow at her, hurt in his eyes. "Well...yeah...who else were you expecting?"

Katara shrugged, glancing around frantically. She opened an unused room and peered into it, but upon finding nothing, closed it grimly. Zuko still stood there, staring at her with impatience and expectance. She stared back for a moment, and then felt a wave of agitation crash against her.

"What?"

"We need to talk—"

"Later. I lost Toph." She started down the hallway again, but he continued trailing behind her like a puppy. "Toph! Toph! Come out _now_!"

"I'm serious," he said, reaching out and grabbing her arm with a firm grip. "Katara, this is important."

"So is finding Toph," she snapped, peering over her shoulder to glare at him. She pulled her arm out of his grip, rubbing the mark leftover.

She felt a little guilty treating him like that, but what else was she supposed to do? She had lost her best friend. She couldn't afford to waste time and talk. She had to find Toph before she got hurt.

Letting out a long, low sigh, she started walking again, expecting him to leave her to her mad state, but he continued to follow. He said nothing, though from his eyes she saw great worry and concern.

But...not for Toph.

For something else. She paid it no heed, only keeping her mind on finding her friend. Honestly, how hard is it to find one person in a small inn? Truthfully not that complex, but when it's Toph, it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

"TOPH!" Katara shouted as loud as possible, and she could've sworn the building shook.

"You'll disturb the guests," he said softly.

She shook her head. Perhaps she was—but then again there were hardly any so it did not matter. "TOPH!"

The closet door where they kept cleaning supplies opened and Toph walked out, scratching her head. "Geez, sugar queen, pipe down! Your shouting could give a banshee a run for her money."

Katara ignored the comment and said, "Never run off like that. You scared me half to death."

"Again, not my mom," Toph blew her bangs out of her face, making them do the wave. Keeping her eyes to the floor, she flickered her wrist toward Zuko. "Sparky with ya?"

"My name is Zuko," he said, glaring at her.

Toph merely shrugged, folding her arms across her chest.

Zuko looked back over at Katara, saying seriously, "Listen, we need to talk. Now."

"Umm, okay." She frowned, eyes narrowed in suspicion at his tone.

"I'll leave you two alone," Toph said, slipping away.

Surprisingly, Katara didn't notice her escape.

Zuko sighed heavily, and Katara felt a stab of pain in her chest. Was he breaking up with her? Did he see just how unworthy she was of his affection? Well, she had been acting out that day, showing him little interest, but that wasn't a reason to end it…right?

She bit her lower lip, crossing her fingers behind her back and praying that it wasn't so, that it was something good. But by the seriousness of his tone and his sad eyes she knew something was wrong.

They both stood silently, staring at each other with troubling gazes. Both waited for the other to speak. Finally, Zuko cleared his throat and said, "I have bad news."

Katara felt her legs shaking and leaned against the wall for support, while trying to look casual. Here it comes...

"Mai is returning early."

Katara felt lightheaded, and everything just popped out of her brain, leaving it empty and confused. What had he just said? Surely it wasn't true...surely it was all a big, fat joke and that any second he would wink and say, "Gotcha."

But he didn't. He remained quiet and waited for her response, but she could give none. Everything in her body shut down, and she felt as lifeless as a statue. Her expression was blank and she found herself unable to blink.

She had not realized she had fallen to her knees, staring down at the carpet. This could not be true. It couldn't. She could not say goodbye to him so early. He had to stay. She wanted—no, _needed_—him to stay.

"When?" she asked.

He knelt beside her. "Two or three days," he said gently.

She took in a shaky breath, attempting to steady her voice. But when she spoke, it came out a croak. "You'll have to leave."

He nodded once.

She lifted her fingertips to rub her temples, silently contemplating the predicament. "So what?" she whispered.

"What?"

"Are you going to stay with her?" She lowered her hands and held his gaze tightly, refusing to turn away. "Or are you going to break up with her?"

His Adam's apple bobbed. "I..." he cleared his throat, and she waited expectantly for him to continue. He remained silent, though, just staring off into the distance with a troubled gaze.

"It's an easy question, Zuko," she said, her voice firm.

"No, it's not," he protested, shaking his head.

"Yes, it is!" she snapped. "Are you leaving or staying, Zuko?"

He sighed heavily, obviously trying to figure out how to avoid the question for the time being. But she would have none of that stalling crap. She reached out and harshly took his hand in hers and squeezed. It was meant to be encouraging, but it came out too rough.

She studied his face for a while, waiting with what little patience she could muster. After a few minutes of silence, he gave her his response:

"I...I will _probably_ leave her—"

"Probably?" she glared at him. "Are you that scared of her, Zuko? Do you care than much about your reputation?

"I'm not scared—"

"You _are_," she hissed venomously, shooting to her feet. "You're afraid of her." She was enraged now, her blood boiling in her veins, heat rising up her neck and into her face, and her fists clenching to a ghostly white.

His eyes flashed. "I am not afraid of her," he breathed, trying to keep control on himself. "Why would you even—?"

"Ugh!" she groaned loudly, ignoring the possible fact they were disturbing what little guests they had. That was irrelevant compared to what was happening. "_Probably_! So...let me get this straight, _Agni,_ all this time we've spent together has been for nothing."

"Katara—"

"No." She lifted her hand, silencing him. She spoke through gritted teeth. "Gah, I was stupid...actually thinking you liked me."

His eyes widened and he opened his mouth but she went on.

"Famous people are all the same," she scoffed. "I should've known you wouldn't be any different. I know you care about your reputation, Zuko. But if all that fame and fortune matters more than me, and what I feel for you, then you're no better than Jet was. I should _never_ have trusted you."

She stormed away from him, leaving him baffled and confused. It did not last long before he raced after her, trying to reason but she would have none of it. She walked past a guest, who cast Zuko a curious look, almost familiarity in his eyes. But she ignored it. What was the point of caring if they were discovered?

She reached her bedroom and slammed the door in his face, locking it with an audible _click_. Palms against the wood, she leaned against it and glared to the floor.

"You are so melodramatic!" his muffled voice said behind the door.

"And you're a coward!" she growled in response, and when he didn't respond she crawled into a corner, rested her chin on her knees, and cried silently.

**{*}{*}{*}**

_Gah, why are women so complicated?_

Zuko was just as furious as she, steam almost coming out of his ears. She wouldn't even hear him out, jumping to some ludicrous theory, twisting his words. And actually having the nerve to call him a _coward!_ If she knew everything he had been through…

Angrily, he stormed down the hallway, hell bent on leaving as soon as possible. He needed to get out. To get away from her so he could fume in his own pain and rage.

But that was just his anger talking. Perhaps, once he had cooled down, he would be in a better state to make a decision, but first he had to let out some steam.

How? By snarling, cursing, scowling, and a whole lot of pacing. He had inherited this trait from his father.

He had given up on trying to reason with Katara when she had called him a coward, and decided on going downstairs to vent instead of in the hall, so that no one would think him strange.

_Love seriously burns...,_ he thought.

The lobby was empty, and the only sound heard was the whistling summer breeze coming through the open windows. Sighing heavily, he leaned against the counter and felt as though someone had lit him on fire. And he knew how that felt. He brought his hand up to his scar and closed his eyes. He thought about Katara's question down at the lake, questioning him about how he had received it.

He had been harsh, maybe even cruel. It's just…the memory was not one he like to remember. But the more he thought about it, the more the images became clear in his mind.

His father, Ozai Rex Agni, had thrown a huge party to celebrate something about Agni Inc. The children of the employees had came to the party as well. And despite being only thirteen and up, they drank some beer, and to fit in with them, Zuko joined in, though hesitant.

He remembered the foul taste and odor that came from the bottle, and how it made him sick to his stomach to sample such a product. But, he wanted to fit it. Not be a social outcast.

At one point, as they sat on the patio by the pool, a drunken boy named Chan (who had once been his sister's crush and brief boyfriend) suggested they play truth or dare. It had started out pretty basic, but it was starting to get crude and somewhat violent. And at one point, a drunken Ruan-Jon suggested that Chan mess around with the flame-thrower.

It was mostly just for show, and was only used on the rare occasion.

Everyone was laughing, and the adults were ignorant to the teens' dangerous fun and drunken state. Zuko was far too close, and before anyone could blink, the flames struck his left eye.

He remembered feeling immense pain, and he had screamed to high Heaven. He had stumbled into the icy pool, but in his state he couldn't concentrate on trying to remain on the surface, the pain far too great. Thankfully, the cold water helped, a little. And just as quick, someone dove into the water and rescued him from drowning, and from there he was taken to the hospital.

He had sworn off drinking ever since that moment in his life, but had broken his vow when he was with Mai. But he had been so desperate for relief that he couldn't resist, and he had paid the price.

He sighed, reaching the end of the memory, and found himself turning back to the argument. Maybe it was stupid, but then again, it was sort of her fault. She didn't let him finish!

But then again, maybe it was his fault. Either way, he was still livid. He took in a calming breath and glanced over his shoulder; at on wall behind the desk, pictures hung. He studied them all.

Mini versions of Katara and Sokka on the beach with a woman he assumed was their mother. Pictures of surfing, flowers, families, two old people with them…And then his eyes fell upon one with two girls staring into the camera, smiling warmly at the viewer.

It showed their mother, who looked no more than sixteen. She had mocha skin, a thin face, oval shaped sapphire eyes, and long dark hair in a braid, with a blue surfboard under her arm.

And next to her, stood another girl the same age. Her skin was like marble, raven hair falling over her shoulder. High cheekbones and full red lips. Her eyes were like melted carmel drizzled over a vibrant yellow. He knew who she was upon first sight.

How could he not?

_Mom..._

* * *

><p><strong>OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG<strong>

**DRAMA! :D Tsk tsk tsk. Young love is a messy thing, isn't it? (shakes head and rolls eyes) Anyway, question of the day: Have you ever gotten into a stupid argument? Me? Well...ummm (blushes)...my brother and I got into a fight over who would have the last of the peanut butter and dueled for it with our foam swords. And during our vicious battle, my dad took it upon himself to eat it. So, yeah... Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Review, please! TTFN! LOL, RAQUEL!**

**Disclaimer: (sighs in annoyance) I do not own Avatar.**


	22. Sapphires and Ambers

**patty cake rocks: :) That was my goal! You shall soon find out...;)**

**love me: :) Thanks! It's been eating me ALIVE to find a place in this story where I can announce they were friends. (eye rolls and giggles) ^-^ I do so ever enjoy torturing Zuko...for some reason. And hopefully it will. Awwww, thanks! It took me FOREVER to figure it out! :) Cookie...XD...(becomes slave to the cookie's powers) haha! TTFN! :)**

**AnnaAza: Oh, we tried! He ambushed him when he was trying to eat our private stash of cheetos. But...um. He has a secret weapon...umm, he has the Pumbaa weapon from "The Lion King". O_O... Yes, guys seriously do. (speaking from experience, six brthers). Yeah, and if we know anything, Zuko has a BIG ego... Maybe Toph will, or maybe an army of flying pigs shall come from the skies and attack Mai! (dramtic music) Uh...I mean, yeah, perhaps...(glances around awkwardly)**

**wolflover97: Yes indeed...(evil smile)**

**G0d3ss0fD1sc0rd: Yikes...O_o...**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-Two<p>

Sapphires And Ambers

_Mom..._

How...how could she possibly be in that picture? What was her relation to the Kalan family? Without realizing it, he was starting to lean in to get a closer look, as if that would change her appearance.

But it did not. She remained the amber eyed, kind smile girl he knew as his mother. He couldn't believe it...

He moved his eyes over to the picture next to it. Like the one before, it featured their mother and his own, but this time Hakoda played part.

He sat between them with a lifeguard uniform, pride glistening in his eyes. His wife—possible girlfriend at the time—was staring at him with adoration while his mother looked into the lens with a smirk. Above their heads, in scribbled hand writing, words were written.

_Hakoda gets promoted and a bigger head than he already had. :P_

He recognized the handwriting as his mother's, and can't help but laugh despite the pain building up inside his chest. Why did his mother never tell him she surfed? That she was friends with the Kalan family?

"Whatdya doin', you little punk?" someone snarled behind him.

Zuko didn't jump, for he knew (sadly) who that voice belonged to. "Nothing, Mr. Kalan," he sighed.

Hakoda grunted, and then followed his gaze. "That's my wife, Kya."

"She looks like Katara," Zuko said, thoughts of the argument still lingering in his head. When was it going to just disappear?

Hakoda grunted again. "I guess."

"And who is that girl next to her?" He already knew the answer; he just wanted to hear it so he knew he wasn't going insane.

Hakoda narrowed his eyes, staring at the picture cryptically. "Umm, her friend from high school, Ursa Ambers." He looked back at Zuko and frowned.

Zuko frowned.

Katara said her mother had been living in Hawaii at the time of her teen years, which only meant his own mother was there at the time. But she had never mentioned anything about Hawaii, or ever knowing a women call Kya.

Why was his mother so desperate to hide that part of her life away from them? Was this why she was adamant about taking that trip to Hawaii? He would never know, because he would never be able to ask her.

"What's so important about it?" Hakoda inquired, though by his tone it indicated he already knew the answer.

" That's my mother."

Hakoda didn't look the least bit surprised by the answer. If anything, it looked as if he had been expecting it. But he quickly masked it with a masterful poker face. "You're Ursa's son?" he frowned.

"Yes."

"I hope your father rots in the pits of hell," Hakoda snapped, then shook his head. "Your mother, however, did not deserve what she got."

"You knew her?" Zuko asked, keeping his eyes on the pictures.

He hesitated a moment. "Yes and no," Hakoda said with an easygoing shrug. "She was my wife's friend, not so much mine." He flicked the picture a quick look, and then lowered his gaze to the floor.

Zuko wished Hakoda's wife was there, so he could ask her everything she knew about his mother's life. But she wasn't here, so it looked like all he had was the annoying, overprotective father.

It would have to do for the time being. He made a quick mental note to ask Iroh about it; maybe he could assist as well.

"Why was she in Hawaii? I thought she was from Phoenix."

Hakoda hesitated again. "She did live in Phoenix, but she moved there from Hawaii, and…" he stopped, crossing his arms. "I don't really know much about that. If you want answers I suggest you talk to your father. That is if he's not too occupied listening to the cries of infants and eating the souls of those who oppose him."

"I'll think about. But...what was she...like...back then?"

"Can't you ask Ozai?"

"No. He doesn't like talking about things of the past."

Hakoda sighed heavily, exasperation lacing his features and his voice. "Okay, fine. C'mon, punk, let me show you something."

**{*}{*}{*}**

**KATARA: JIN? U THERE?**

**JIN: wazzzup, home grl?**

**KATARA: :( heart hurts!**

**JIN: OMIMONKY! Was is Zuko?**

**KATARA: yeah**

**JIN: b right there, ,KK!**

**{*}{*}{*}**

In the Kalan private living room, Zuko watched as Hakoda shoved some VCR into the VHS. (Who had VCR's anymore?) After he had taken an awkward seat on the worn out leather sofa, Hakoda had dug through a box on top of a bookshelf until he pulled out a VHS with the word _stoke _written on the side.

Zuko was seriously confused by the grouchy man's actions, but he went along with it. Whatever Hakoda was going to show him had something to do with his mother, and he was determined to learn as much as he could.

"You sure about this?" Hakoda asked, holding the remote in his hand.

He nodded.

The TV screen took a minute before an image of the Hawaiian ocean came into view, and then, it played.

**{*}{*}{*}**

_Click. Whirr. Click. Whirr. Bzzzz._

_A few surfers were already out there in the water, and there was the sound of some man was screaming, "JAWS WILL KILL YOU ALL!" And then that very same guy raced into the water shouting, "TAKE ME, JAWS! TAKE ME!"_

_"Idiot," a voice on the TV said, voice slightly shake due to the quality. "Uh, okay. Hi. Welcome to Hawaii! I'm Hakoda Kalan, sexiest man alive. Also head lifeguard. Oh, yeah."_

_"Shut up, Koda." A mocha girl walked into the picture. She wore a blue bikini and had a coral blue surfboard. "It's not all about you, ya know."_

_"You're right, Ky!" Hakoda lowered the camera so that it was on her long, thin legs. "It should be about those sexy legs of yours..."_

_"Pervert!" a slapping sound was heard and a raven haired girl skipped next to Kya. It was _her_. "You are a moron, Hakoda Ken Kalan."_

_"I resent that!" he lifted his hand up to the lens and gave the two girls the bird. They giggled in response, exchanging looks._

_"We're not here to talk about legs," Ursa went on, beaming with enough charm to seduce a cobra. "We're here to surf."_

_She waved her perfectly manicured hand over the ocean, where people were getting crushed against the hard waves. One guy was even screaming for his mommy as he got taken down by the tube, and yet Kya and Ursa stared at it without fear. Like it was the kiddie pool. _

_Turning her head to the side so that the sun caught her raven hair, Ursa added, "And we're going to show this groms exactly how we do it."_

_Kya smirked, rolling her blue eyes. "Let's go get our stoke on," she said, and winked into the camera._

_Ursa blew a quick kiss._

_Both girls charged into the water, and Hakoda zoomed in so that one could see them taking on a huge wave, while laughing and enjoying themselves. Enjoying the sport for what it was. It was clear, for them, this wasn't just some big competition—it was their passion. Their…stoke._

_"Please let that bikini shrink in the water...," Hakoda whispered._

_The wave of glistening sapphires tumbled over them, and they endured a serious wipeout, and they came back to shore with broad grins and high-fiving each other. They flew into a fit of hysterical giggles at their success and failure._

_"That was SICK," Kya said, doing the peace sign. "Aw, baby, did you watch me?" she batted her eyelashes at Hakoda._

_"Yeha..." the camera fell into the sand, and it showed the two of them hugging and sharing a quick kiss. And sadly, he was wearing a tight speedo._

_During this brief lip-lock, Ursa picked it back up and pointed it at her. "Hi, sorry you had to see that." She winked. "Anyway, you were lucky enough to witness the two sexiest girls alive doing the sweetest surf in the universe. Right, Ky?" She glanced briefly over at her friend, who was now embracing her boyfriend. "Uhhh, okay, ew." She scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue, while crossing her eyes._

_"That's not very attractive," Kya said, smirking._

_"Oh puh-leese, like you making out with Mr. Pervy McSpeedo was attractive." _

_Ursa rolled her eyes and zoomed out so that you could catch a glimpse of the both of them. "Huge surf contest coming up. So wish us luck."_

_"We'll kick their butts!" Kya said, excited._

_"ASTA LA VISTA!" they said into the camera, and then it went black._

_A new image came up, showing them a little older, perhaps in their twenties, and the beach was a little different. _

_"It was nice you could come all the way here from dreary Phoenix, Ursa," Kya was saying, only to be interrupted by a fit of snarls._

_"—hand me the bloody camera, Kalan!" a hiss came from somewhere behind the camera, and it shook violently before landing in her hands._

_"No fair!" Hakoda said, glaring._

_Ursa stuck out her tongue and pointed it at herself. "Hullo, future grandchildren. Say hello to your grandma!"_

_"I highly doubt anyone will be watching these videos, Ursa," Kya stated, pulling a toddler into her lap._

_The child cooed and cried out happily as he patted on the sand, creating some sort of sand castle—truthfully it looked more like a blubbering blob monster. He threw a seashell into the ocean._

_"Good job, Sok!" Kya cooed, brushing her thumb against the boy's cheek, and he replied in a fit of giggles._

_A little girl in a bright red bathing suit with sparking gold eyes threw sand at his face. The camera was set down for a moment so her mother could pull her away and gently smack her hand._

_"No, Azula," Ursa said firmly, and then smirked at Kya. "I still find it cruel you named your son Sokka. He is going to die in high school!"_

_She turned the camera over to where a little black haired boy with amber eyes sat, studying a seashell with purple and yellow designs on it._

_"Like Zuko is any different," Kya countered, agitation written across her features. "My son was named after a great warrior, his ancestor. While you named your son after a _tree_."_

_"Ignoring," Ursa grumbled, and then turned her voice into a high-pitch coo. "Whatchya doing, Zuzu?"_

_Baby-Zuko looked at his mother. He looked no more than two, at the very least. He pointed over at a mocha skinned girl in a blue bathing suit in front of him. "Kat," he said. _

_Azula hit him in the shoulder with a starfish, only to have it pulled away by Ursa. The child received another light slap and burst into tears. With slight guilt, Ursa pulled the child into her lap as she watched her son_

_"That's right!" Ursa said, "Do you like Kat?"_

_To answer her question, baby-Zuko handed baby-Katara the seashell._

_"Awww!" both mothers gushed._

_Kya reached into a nearby bag and dug through it. "Gosh darn! Koda, do you have the camera?"_

_Hakoda entered the screen, carrying a bucket and shovel. "Ursa, tell that husband of yours to get off his computer," he said, jerking his head toward the man under the umbrella. "And no, I didn't bring it. You'll have to do with video, Ky."_

_Ursa scoffed and handed the camera over to him. Hakoda videotaped as she walked over to her shirtless husband who was sitting in the shade with a laptop, his fingers tapping rapidly over the keyboard. He barely gave her a sideways glance when she addressed him. He merely grunted to show he was listening._

_"Ozai, babe, can you please get off the computer for a minute," she said, pouting._

_Ozai sighed. "I have work. My father—"_

_"You're on vacation, not at the office. Take at least five minutes off."_

_He sighed again, and opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, Ursa shut the laptop, took it off his lap, and put it in his bag. He stared at her in bewilderment._

_She turned back to him. "There. Work is over. Now go build a sand castle with your son before I feed you to the sharks."_

_Hakoda grinned broadly, pleasure striking his features. "She's going to feed that SOB to the sharks?" He grabbed Sokka and placed him on his shoulders, causing the child to laugh. "Let's watch, dear boy! I'm willing to bet a hundred bucks he's got slime for blood."_

_"Oh, you!" Kya smacked his arm. "Be nice. He's her husband."_

_"Just because he's your best friend's husband doesn't mean I have to like him."_

_She huffed, looking over at Zuko and Katara. "Aren't they simply darling together?"_

_"Not very," he said stiffly. "They're hardly ali-"_

_"I MEAN THEM." She jerked her thumb to where she was speaking about._

_Katara was splashing in the water that was gently coming to shore and Zuko was sitting protectively next to her as if to ensure the tide wouldn't take her away. He kept tapping her shoulder with his chubby fist, and she would gurgle in response._

_"He's going to be trouble one day," Hakoda grumbled, eyeing his daughter's possible future love interest with suspicion._

_"Hmm," Kya sighed dreamily, ignoring her husband. "Mrs. Katara Lillian Agni...sounds catchy, huh, Koda?"_

_Hakoda didn't respond; he was too busy hurling into the bucket, dropping the camera in the process._

_Ozai walked onto the beach, a few girls eyeing his rippling muscles with envy and lust, while Ursa kept her arm coiled with his, flashing them cold stares. And if any of them tried to get close she would give them the death stare, which caused them to cringe away. Meanwhile, poor Ozai was staring in confusion at the items for building a sand castle before him._

_"Ah, Ursa the Jealousa," Kya said formally._

_Ursa rolled her amber eyes. "Kya Saphyra Kalan, you shall be the death of me."_

_"As you, Ursa Ray Agni."_

_The two moms giggled like they were teens again._

_"They are so adorable!" Ursa pointed over at Katara and Zuko._

_The babies were now holding hands, gurgling in union._

_"Did you get that on camera?" Kya asked quickly._

_"Yup." Ursa was grinning. "I see a great romance in their future."_

_"You sound like Iroh's fr—"_

**{*}{*}{*}**

_Whir. Click. Whir. Click. Bzz._

The video stopped.

Zuko felt like his heart was going to pound straight out of his chest. So many emotions tackled him at once, each one attempting to claim him. But it just left him feeling tingly and flabbergasted. His mother knew her mother? Ursa and Kya honestly teased about such things, that one day they would wind up together?

Why had Ursa never shown this video to him before? Why did she never say anything about Kya? Was she embarrassed? Ashamed to have a poor friend? Form the video it seemed like they were close, almost sisters.

Hakoda walked in front of the TV and turned it off, his expression grave and distant.

"Why did you show me that?" Zuko asked, feeling like he was going to explode with all that he was feeling. "Why didn't my mother tell me about this? Has Katara seen this? Does she know me from back then? Give me some answers!"

Hakoda adjusted the beads in his hair before replying. "I showed you that because you deserved to know. Why she didn't tell you I don't know. No, Katara hasn't seen it—don't ask. If you really want answers, go ask Daddy."

Overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, he stood up and stared Hakoda dead in the eye. "Thank you," he said at last.

Suddenly, Jin and Song burst into the room, their eyes frantically searching. Jin was in frenzy, foam practically gushing from her mouth while Song remained calm and serene, yet still concerned. They studied the room for a moment and then laid their eyes upon the two standing in the center of it.

"Is Kit Kat in here?" Jin asked.

"Upstairs in her room, I believe," Hakoda said, pulling the VCR out.

Jin nodded, and looked over at Zuko. At once, a glare tore across her anxious face. "YOU!" she snarled, stepped forward, and slapped him across the face. She started pounding at his chest with her delicate hands. It did not hurt, but it took him by surprise."You egoistic, selfish, cruel, idiotic, heartbreaker, incredibly sexy, drop-dead hunky-"

"I think he gets it, Jin!" Song said, dragging her out of the room. But not before she could glare at him.

"What did he do?" Hakoda asked, suddenly alert.

"He broke Katara's heart!" Jin snarled. "That's what he did! He tore it right out of her chest and destroyed it with his flames of pain!"

"Oh really?" Hakoda turned slowly to look at him, his expression blank.

**{*}{*}{*}**

Zuko grunted as he came into contact with the wet grass, and his suitcase followed behind him, nearly crushing his legs.

"AND DON'T COME BACK!" Hakoda shouted, and then the door slammed.

Zuko looked over his shoulder and scowled. He had actually be thrown out (literally) only after realizing he had known Katara since childhood. Their mothers had been best friends! They had even predicted that they would be together in the future. And why was this all supposed to be a big secret?

_This was serious! _

He frowned, wondering what his odds would be if he tried to go back inside. Pretty slim, he thought. Besides…he should be leaving, anyway. Mai would be back any day now, and he had to get things in order…

Sighing heavily, he stood up and picked up his suitcase. He had to make amends with Katara, he had to apologize. Maybe it wasn't exactly smart of him to say it like that to her. Not after his realizing it was her he wanted, not Mai.

They were meant to be together. Even their deceased mothers had predicted it.

But he was now tossed aside, perhaps doomed to never see her again. That thought felt worse than being stabbed mercilessly in the chest. He started down the pathway to where his car was parked, giving one last glance at the glistening lake he had come to love.

It was the same color as her eyes, the eyes that haunted him as he fought to go to sleep. The eyes that peered into the bowels of his very soul.

As he reached the gate, he looked over one last time at the inn, and saw someone looking at him through a large window. It was Katara.

She stared down at him without any expression, but her arms were folded and her eyes were hard.

He gave a quick wave, and turned way. "Goodbye, Katara," he whispered so low that it was blocked out by the wind. "I love you."

And then he walked out. Out of the inn, out of happiness, and out of her life.

Forever.

* * *

><p><strong>PHEW! OMIMONKEY (as Jin puts it)! so much drama! I THINK I'M GOING TO EXPLODE! Anyway, okay, question of the day: do you guys have any type of "smiley face" you like to use? Mine is: (:{)<strong>

**It's a guy with a mustache, sort of like Haru...hmm...**

** :) Review please! Until tomorrow, my friends!**

**Zuko: You have no friends.**

**Me: (glares) :P**

**Zuko: :P**


	23. Battle To The Death

**AnnaAza: That's Jin: The Wrench of the Romance World. :) But Hakoda would have found out either way! Yes, they were! (daydreams about baby Zuko) Ahhh, in the words of Iroh: "Destiny is a funny things."**

**black rose-raven angel: Zuko: "OW!" yes, we are. (:{) It was destiny they wind up together now, now that their paths had intertwined once more on the land of love! That was cheesy...O_o... I've always LOVED surfing (I'm not a surfer but I'm a SOUL surfer), so I thought it would be cool since Hawaii has one of the best waves ever. Nice smilies! }:}**

**black rose-raven angel: That's our Tophy! (gets hit in the arm by Toph) Ow... aww, thank you! Thanks! They're pretty cool sometimes, and then they have their dark days when the weirdness sprouts out...O_O**

**love me: Yeah, puppy love. :) Yes, well, mother knows best, so it is only natural that their mother senses started tingling when they saw them together. (sighs dreamily) Not a bad idea! TTFN**

**patty cake rocks: My mom says I can't...sorry...:(**

**Wolfie2500: omg thank you! It was my goal to make Hakoda creepy. }:} None taken, believe me, I am aware of how idiotic Zuzu can be when it comes to amore. I've always had a fondness toward puppy love...:}**

**patty cake rocks: You're so sweet! :D (love the nickname, it really desribes her)! Yes, but Zuko was confused at the time, sadly... Now, he technically DID say "I love you". ;) asta la vista!**

**nejitenten4ever: omimonkey, thank you! I've always been a sucker for sad endings...(shakes head sadly). VCR...I figured Hakoda would be the type of person tos till have one. And don't worry, I update everyday, so no fear!**

**love me: Aloha! I thought it would be fun to try a different version of a "flashback" (dramatic music, thunderclap). I love Jin too, even though she can be seriously annoying at times (example: "Now can you take off your shirt please?" to Zuko). (cracks up) I just LOVED the thought so much I had to put it in there, no matter how silly it kind of was. ;) nice smiley! UNTIL NEXTIME!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-Three<p>

Battle To The Death

Katara's heart felt like it had been run over, stomped on, stabbed, torn apart, and then lit on fire.

She cried bitterly, sitting on the window seat with her head leaned against the glass, watching as ducks swan along the lake. Next to her, Jin was combing her hair, a comforting gesture while Song went downstairs to get some hot chocolate despite it being humid outside.

There was a plastic bag full of candy, as if they had recently gone trick-or-treating. It mainly consisted of airheads, starburts, and chocolate, which was quite comforting in this situation.

Jazz music played from her iPod. Jin liked to call it the "Breakup Blues", since they always listened to it whenever one of the girls had gotten themselves a broken heart. For some reason, jazz was comforting in these times. Maybe it was something about the melody and the rhythm.

Katara took a air-head and chewed ruefully, but she could barely get it down, since the lump in her throat was blocking it. As she cried, she muttered, "I hate love...I hate love...I never want to fall in love again..."

"Shhhh," Jin said, her eyes just as sad. When one friend felt terrible, the others did too. "It's okay, Kit Kat."

"No, no it's not," Katara said, shaking head her, her breath shaky. "He said he would probably break up with her, Jin. Probably."

Jin sighed, popping a yellow starburst into her mouth.

"Does it always hurt this much?" Katara whispered.

In her life, she had only had two boyfriends: Haru and Jet. Haru and her broke up on a mutual level, both accepting that they didn't belong together and went their separate ways, now friends. Jet, however, was a psychopath. And breaking up with him had been easy.

But…it was different with Zuko…

Jin hesitated. "Yes. Breakups always hurt in the beginning. But it'll get progressively better over the course of time. You'll see."

Katara found this comforting, but she still sobbed aimlessly.

She hadn't cried this much since her mother's death, and she wasn't welcoming the feeling with open arms. She wiped her eyes, though fresh, new tears soon took the old ones place.

Song returned, Toph trailing behind her.

"Here you go, Tara," Song said gently, handing her a snowman mug.

"What the heck is going on?" Toph said, seating herself on the bed.

"He broke my heart," Katara wailed, clutching her Hello Kitty plushy.

"Man up," Toph said, waving her hand.

Jin, who grew incredibly hostile and protective when one of her girlfriends was in pain, barked out, "Shut up, Toph! Can't you see she's in PAIN? I'd like to see YOU handle this type of thing, but I never will. Seeing as YOU HAVE NO HEART TO FEEL ANYTHING!

Toph winced, though her expression remained casual. She shrugged. "I can't see her anyway, JJ," she said, her voice giving away the fact she was slightly hurt by Jin's words.

Song, sensing danger, said gently, "Listen, we all need to calm down—"

"Calm down?" Jin shot up to her feet, her eyes flaring dangerously. "Katara just got her heart crushed into pathetic pieces and Toph tells her to MAN UP!"

Katara sighed heavily.

Honestly, this frienemy relationship between Toph and Jin was seriously annoying. Any other day she wouldn't have cared, pretending not to notice. But this argument had been brought up because of _her. _They were fighting over how she was feeling.

Come to think of it, what was she feeling?

Pain, of course. But what else?

Greif…remorse…pain…suffering…heartbreak…love… passion…hate…

"Probably," he had said.

Well, wasn't it natural that she would snap at that? After all they had been through? The smiles, the passionate kiss, the laughs...so many memories flooded into her mind, some pleasant others not so much. She almost smiled when she remembered him defending her from Jet, actually punching him in the face.

And the way he had confessed himself to her, telling her he killed someone by mistake. About how his father had set him up just so they could get richer. And yet...despite the fact his feelings for her were obvious...he wasn't sure about breaking up with Mai.

She furrowed her brow.

Azula's words rang in her head, about the contest being rigged, about how he was looking for a whore while dear Mai was away.

Rigged.

How could it possibly be rigged? There's no way he could have hired people to dig through all the boxes and find _her_ information—and how would he even know which one was hers, or even if she signed up or not?—but then again, he hired people to keep a part of the beach private for him while he recovered from writer's block.

If he could do that, who says he couldn't do it with that? Was he just using her? Manipulating her heart to his advantage? She closed her eyes, remembering the passionate kiss they had shared which almost led to something else.

She blushed, opening her eyes and glaring down at the two swans that had appeared down at the lake with pure hatred. If one swan died, the other swan would never mate again. If only it were the same with humans.

But...if he was just using her, why on earth would he confess himself? Why would he wish to stay with Mai?

She sighed heavily, bringing her hand to her warm forehead.

"SHUUUUT UUUUP!" the normally quiet Song shouted. "You BOTH need to get a grip!" The moment the words escaped her lips, she blushed fiercely and added meekly, "Please…"

Katara turned her head over to witness what was happening, hoping this would entertain her enough to get he-who-must-not-be-named out of her head.

Toph had a guilty look on her face, which was surprising since she was so tough.

Jin sighed sadly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry," she said softly, but to who she was speaking to was unclear. "It's just...he was her first true love and..."

"He still is," said Toph like it should have been obvious.

"What?" all three girls turned in confusion to look at the blind one.

"DUH!" Toph rolled her glassy eyes. "Didn't you hear him, sugar queen? He adores you. In fact, while I was outside hiding from you, I heard him leave—"

"Serves him right," Jin growled under her breath.

"—he said, 'I love you'!" Toph went on. "Sugar queen, he obviously wants to be with you. And he sounded sincere."

"You're not a human lie detector!" Katara snapped.

"YES I AM!" Toph barked. "Call him! Apologize for being the drama-sugar-queen you are!"

Her? Apologize to him? She considered the thought carefully, and it was very tempting, since her cell phone was just three feet away from her.

"Not now," she said, hugging her legs. "I'll give him two days to breakup with Mai—if he does, then I'll know he does like me. If not, I'll never talk to him again."

Toph sighed, shaking her head, her bangs doing the hula. "Geez, sugar queen, I may be younger than you, but I am SO much smarter." And with that, she turned and walked out of the bedroom.

**{*}{*}{*}**

Zuko was pacing again.

Any second...any second his so-called girlfriend would walk through that door and re-enter his life. Not that it could get any worse. He had made a mess of things; he had caused the only pure thing in his life to slip away from him all because of his _stupidity_.

He had never been a Romeo outside of his writing, but he could be a romantic. And sadly, then was not the time. Of all days he could blurt something out, say the wrong thing; it had to be that one. Of course he was well aware the universe hated him (he had a list), but it couldn't hate him that much.

Katara understood him. She didn't stare at him funny when he told her about his...mistake during high school with the guy and the car...she hadn't laughed at his real name...and she...liked his scar...

But most importantly, she loved him.

Not his money.

Not his fame.

Not his publicity.

Not his looks.

Him.

And now he had lost her, let her slip away from him. "I am an idiot," he grumbled, slapping his forehead so hard it left a dark red blotch.

The door opened, and he felt as if he had just been crushed by a semi. Mai stood in the doorway, her expression unreadable, and despite spending time under the rays of the Caribbean, she was still pasty. Her grey eyes were hard, and her hair was combed neatly down her back.

But he soon realized she had a flustered look, her ears slightly pink. But that could have been due to lack of sunscreen. He masked his sadness and horror with a welcoming smile, keeping his arms behind his back.

"Mai, welcome home," he said as she set down her suitcases. He raised his eyebrow. She would have just had the doorman bring them up for her or the taxi-driver. She never did it herself.

She sighed gloomily. "I suppose it's good to be back," she said dully. She glanced at him briefly before her gaze flitted away toward the TV. "Anything interesting happen while I was away?"

He gulped hard. "No, not at all—"

"Save it," she said, inspecting her razor sharp nails cryptically. "I saw everything. In the magazines. On the TV. You with that...that...poor, penniless whore. That bitch—"

"Do not talk about her like that!" he snapped without thinking, but did not regret his words.

She snorted. "Ah, I see..." She trailed her finger down her jaw, narrowing her eyes at him which now resembled a skeptic cat. "I also read how you defended her honor at that party—I'm guessing so you could have her to yourself." She paused, waiting to see if he would like to speak up, but he remained silent, too furious to even blink. "And how you two were on that private beach, sleeping in an embrace—"

"Shut up," Zuko said.

She pretended not to have heard him. She straightened her burgundy blouse casually and spoke through a cold voice that made his whole body shiver. "You cheating ba-" She stopped herself, rolling her grey eyes and turning her head to the side to smirk at him. "Lucky for you, I'm going to forget all about this. And you are going to clear up all these rumors and announce your love rests with me." She snapped her fingers. "And just like that, it will all disappear-"

"No."

She was startled by his answer, and raised her eyebrows. "No? You would deny me?" she stepped forward and purred in his ear. "Your girlfriend who is bearing your child."

_"What?"_ Zuko pushed her away, utterly confused. They had never shared a bed before...he would never... "We've never...I...what?"

She smirked, strolling casually into the kitchen, him following behind her. As she was getting some red wine, she said, "Since you were having fun here with that whore, I thought I would have some fun of my own."

Zuko frowned, his eyes tightening. "Ah, so you're saying you cheated on me-"

She glared. "As you were on me."

"I never slept with her!" he barked. "Unlike you—wait, why do I even care?"

She shrugged. "Whatever. You'll just tell the public it's yours, m'kay?"

It wasn't like he cared anymore, since his heart no longer belonged to her, but he knew Mai would fight to keep it. A battle to the death, if you will. He was practically boiling with anger when her expression and posture didn't change. The smug glint in her eyes flicked at him like a whip. He watched angrily as she brought the wine to her lips.

"Pack your bags, Mai," he said, calming himself down. "Get out. We're over."

_Crash. _The wineglass fell from her hand, shattering as the wine pooled like blood around her feet. She gaped at him for a moment like a fish, and he was satisfied by that, but she regained herself. "You do realize I'll tell the media everything, right? Your life will be over. All for some little twit!"

"That twit is the love of my life," he said. "And she is a better woman than you will ever be. While she will have loved ones surrounding her, you shall die alone." He turned and walked out of the room. "And lucky for you, I won't press charges for black-mailing me."

"I-I'll tell them!" she said, hurling herself after him. "I will! I'll tell them you did it on purpose! That you killed him on purpose!

"Be my guest," he said, making his way to his room.

"I know more about Agni Inc. then you do, Agni! I will ruin not only you, but your family's work!"

"Despite what you may think Ozai is still more powerful than Gerald. No one will believe a mere film director's daughter over one of the richest men in the world."

She stopped to glare daggers at him, a sly look twinkling in her eyes. "My father has made many friends in the field."

"Good for him."

"And he would do anything for his only daughter."

"Lovely," Zuko was about to close the door when she said something that sent chills rippling down his spine.

"Even ruin another person's life—let's say a certain girl."

He slowly looked at her, standing as frozen as a statue. Surely she wasn't…"Wh-what?" he managed, feeling as cold as death.

She smirked, folding her arms across her chest. "While I was away and you were at play, I did a little bit of research…" she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a white iPhone. "Katara Kalan. Age, twenty-one. Born the third of May. Daughter of innkeeper Hakoda Kalan and ex-pro-surfer Kya McCloud, now deceased. Clean record. She graduated with honors, and is currently attending Columbia University."

He remained still.

"Did you honestly think that a girl from a penniless family got into Columbia University by money? It was a scholarship. And my father happens to know some people who...work there."

"No…" he hissed venomously.

"Also, do you think her family's business is successful? They're hanging on by a thread, as it is!"

She ignored him, carrying on with the slyness of a fox. "Now, you have a choice, my dear Zuzu." She waved her hand. "You can breakup with me, have your life ruined, and ruin hers in the process as well as her family and future. Or, you stay with me, announce the child is yours, and she remains in happiness and her family inn will possibly strive. Your choice."

Zuko felt pain in his chest, and he had to blink back tears. He had not expected this, that she would bring it to this level, that she would be that jealous. How could she do this? No one was that cruel and bitter. But as he stared into her eyes, he saw nothing but livid hatred and vacancy.

He ran his hand through his black hair, his golden eyes full of misery. He closed his eyes and exhaled sharply.

* * *

><p><strong>I always hated Mai. She's so evil. Question of the day: who would you want as a friend, Jin or Toph? Me? I have no idea...O_o...they're both so bloody awesome! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Review, please. Disclaimer: BLAH BLAH BLAH I OWN NOTHING! Have a nice day! TTFN<strong>


	24. Breaking Point

**Wolfie2500: YES, please do! :D hmm-hmm-hmm...Zuko is doomed...and thank you! :D**

**limocold: oh! (blushes) believe me, I am well aware. I just type too fast sometimes and make little errors. I fully intend on going back once the story is complete and edit my grammer mistakes and whatnot. Thanks! (:{)**

**black rose-raven angel: Yes, they both ROCK! Oh, you are most welcome! Your stories are AWESOME, Rose! That's Mai, always disturbing and freaking people out. Perhaps Zuko will do that, or he shall magically learn the art of Firebending and kill Mai FIRE NATION STYLE (dramatic music the background)! }:} (crickets chirp, glances around awkwardly) Oh, I mean... Thank you soooooo much! It seems everyone is after Mai's blood now. O_o...(graps pitchfork and torches) :D**

**love me: I know, right? Zuko is like...amazing. (shakes head) hmmmmmm, she is so evil and cruel. Perhaps Zuko should have listened to his Uncle when he offered to, ahem, "take care" of her. omg omg omg omg omg (blushes and faints, then wakes up) thank you so much! :D (sighs sadly) yeah, she is in so much pain...her first love...:(... Zuko has always been about the honor, but this time it really won't be selfish reasons...thank you!:D... Jin and Toph are seriously BOTH awesome in their own way! lol thanks again, love me! :DDDD**

**AnnaAza: "The Taming of the Shrew"? Isn't that a Shakespeare play or something? Yes, Zuko seriously does, but he knows Katara's entire life is hanging on by a thread so...:(...trust me, Mai will find a way...she always does. O_O**

**patty cake rocks: Don't worry, my friend, her time shall soon come. }:} mwahahahahaaa! LOL :D**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-Four<p>

Breaking Point

"What now, sugar queen?" Toph said, arms folded over her Abercrombie & Filtch shirt.

"What?" Katara regarded her, having been so captivated in her own thoughts she had very noticed her friend's presence.

"It's been two days," she snapped. "He hasn't said anything about dearly beloved Mai Black—_call him_."

Katara turned away to look out the window. Both of them were sitting in the lobby, which was, as usual, empty except for the sound of her brother talking on the phone with his girlfriend, Suki, in the other room. Perhaps she should call him, since she hadn't read or heard anything about the two of them reuniting with each other.

Maybe he had broken up with her, and if so, would he take her back?

She considered this carefully with a heavy sigh. She had been terrible, she knew. And a tad overdramatic. But what else could she have done? She panicked! She loved him, that was for sure, but did he return her affections?

Or did he just want her? She shuddered at the thought. She would not play Anne Boleyn in this little King Henry VIII charade. As if reading her thoughts, Toph spoke up.

"He loves you. He said it himself! Call him and apologize for being such a drama queen. Believe it or not, sugar queen, even perfectionists make mistakes."

"What do you know?" she snapped, unable to control her feelings and emotions the way she normally could. "You've never loved the way I have!"

Toph winced, closing her eyes and sighing. "That's not true," she said softly, her cheeks tinted pink. "I liked someone before, Katara."

Katara frowned, looking at her friend in confusion. "What?"

She smiled awkwardly, almost sheepishly. "You remember Aang?"

Katara bit her lower lip. "Yeah..." he was a kid in her old neighborhood who lived with his father or something, some guy named Gyatso.

"I liked him."

"Why didn't you tell him, then?"

Toph didn't answer.

_"I wanna see you when I wakeup-wakeup-wakeup...cause you look good without makeup-"_

Katara answered her phone.

"What?"

"OMIMONKEY!" Jin shouted, and in the other line she heard a rustling and a crashing noise. "Ah, crud! Listen, turn the TV on NOW! Go on the news channel!"

"What? Why?" she asked, making her way into the private living room.

"JUST DO IT!"

She pulled the phone away from her ear, for her friend's screech nearly caused her to go deaf. She honestly didn't care about the news anymore, but from Jin's tone it sounded important so she would bite...for now.

Some guy with overly-jelled hair and obvious Botox came onto the screen, smiling a fake smile and speaking with a voice that sounded like it belonged more to a creepy stalker from a horror flick rather than a news reporter. But then again what was the difference?

_"Goooooood morning, California!" he said cheerfully, and his eyes widened. "Welcome to the Morning News, where you're in the know, and we're in the go!"_

She sighed, slouching on the couch. Was this wanted Jin wanted her to see? Was this her crush of the week? If so, he taste was fading.

_"I'll just pass it along to your favorite person! Jooo Deeeeeee!"_

Did Joo Dee have to be associated with all means of the news network? First a article writer and now a news reporter?

_The image changed, and Joo Dee's evil, large broad smile replaced his creepy eyes. She laughed happily, almost robotically. "Thank you, Patrick!" She held a microphone to her face. "Hi, everyone I am your favorite person in the universe, and your BFF, Joo Dee!" _

_She laughed again, walking into a studio where some actors were talking with scripts in their hands, and some getting fitted for wardrobe while others were getting their makeup done. "We're here on the set of _I Die, You Die_, New York Times bestselling novel written by Zuko X. Agni." _

_She stepped around the corner, and Gerald Black stood there, speaking to a girl with a headset on and a clipboard. He shooed her away when Joo Dee neared. "And who else to direct this amazing book, then our very own Howard Black!"_

Katara scoffed, rolling her eyes. What was the point of this?

_"As I understand it, Zuko X. Agni has entrusted many of his books to you," Joo Dee asked, holding the microphone to his face. "How does it feel?"_

_"Very fine, seeing as how he is dating my beloved only daughter," he said, smiling falsely. "And since he is technically a part of the Black family, I make it my goal to make sure the movie is exactly like the book."_

_Yeah, _right, she thought grimly, leaning up against the soft pillows.

_"And how do you feel about this...mystery women, revealed to be Katara Kalan?" Joo Dee went on._

_"She's a selfish whore," Howard Black said haughtily. "She tried to take away my daughter's true love." He shook his head, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his sweaty forehead._

_Two people, as if on cue, came into the screen. The man had his arm wrapped around the female, and they flashed looks of affection at each other._

_"Ahh, here we have the happy couple now!" Joo Dee waved her hand. "Would it be alright if I asked some questions?"_

_"Of course!" Mai said, giggling. It sounded like a frog being strangled._

_Joo Dee nodded, raising her eyebrows curiously. "Now, as I understand it, Zuko, you got to spend a week with a Miss Katara Kalan—and rumors had it you had a relationship with her. Is this true?"_

Katara's eyes widened. Now was the moment, the moment where she would see if he would breakup with her or stay. But judging by his body language, it wasn't looking promising on her part.

Nonetheless she felt hopeful, and sucked in a sharp breath as her stomach twisted into knots, feeling slightly lightheaded.

_He didn't hesitate or give it any thought."Yes and no," he said, shaking his head. "Yes, we were briefly in a relationship." He sighed heavily, as if remembering something very unpleasant. "When things were getting out of hand, I realized how much I loved my Mai and..."_

_"Oh, baby," Mai cooed, wrapping her arms around his waist, jutting her lower lip slightly out. "It's alright. She seduced you with her witchy powers."_

_"So Maiko is still intact?" Joo Dee questioned in a dramatic voice._

_Mai smirked. "What do you think?" She leaned up and kissed him passionately, causing everyone on the set to turn and gush, most likely paid to do so. What made it worse was the fact he was returning the kiss with equal passion and romance._

Katara wasn't sure when it had happened, but she had started crying. _You brought this on yourself, you know. _

She nodded sadly, wanting to turn away from the horrific sight but was unable to. Those were the lips she had been graced with, the lips that danced with hers. Arms coiled around each other. When they had kissed...it was...heavenly. Like all troubles had disappeared...but now...

_They broke apart._

_"How touching!" Joo Dee gushed, saying it to the camera rather than them._

_"And that's not the only good news," Mai said, almost smugly. "You wanna tell them, babe?"_

_Zuko appeared startled. "Oh, no, babe, you go-"_

_"No, you, my sexy lover," she purred._

_His Adam's apple bobbed, and he seemed to be struggling with saying it. "Well," he said, blushing. "...I...Mai...we..."_

_"I'm pregnant!" Mai cried happily._

What...

The...

Heck...

Katara stared, and the dam in her eyes broke, pouring endlessly down her cheeks. Pregnant? He...they...

She sobbed bitterly; her head slumped to the side as her tears slithered into her hair. She barely noticed the presence of her friends who had just walked into the room, lost within her own angst. She watched in horror as they embraced each other and announced just how excited they were about their child.

When marriage was brought up, Mai replied, "Perhaps..." and then kissed him passionately again.

That was the breaking point._ That_ was the last straw. That was _it_. She turned off the TV, sitting up and slouching over, her breathing shallow. She breathed in slowly, attempting to calm her exploding nerves. She shook her head, clenching her hands so hard that her knuckles turned a ghostly white.

Behind her, she heard concerned murmurs, but ignored them. She was tired of this. Tired of everything. She stood up abruptly, storming out of the inn. Her hands balled up at her sides, jaw set. She was unaware of her actions though, reacting solely on anger.

"Kit Kat!" Jin shouted, racing after her. "Where are you going!"

Katara ignored her, walking out into the midmorning sunlight. It touched her skin gently, almost warming her ice cold heart. But it was incased by rage and unreachable. Everything around her was blurred, by what she was unsure. The tears? The rage? Both?

"KATARA!" Jin still proceeded "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere," she hissed, surprised by the amount of venom lacing her voice.

"Katara Lillian Kalan!" Song called the porch, her meek vocals reaching a high octave. "Come back here!"

"No." she whirled around so fast that the startled Jin nearly crashed into her. "I am tired of this! I need a break! I need to get away."

"Katara—" Jin began.

"No, Jin." Katara clenched her jaw so hard her teeth started to ache. "Don't you see? He lied. He said he cared about me, that he had never...slept with her. He just wanted me for a mistress while she was away!" tears continued streaming down her mocha face, making her startlingly sapphire eyes red and puffy. Her voice was shaking, almost cracking. "I loved him. I was stupid enough to believe he loved me—I was stupid enough to fall in love with him!" she screeched out the last words, and Toph was right, she could give a banshee a run for her money. "I trusted him..." She glared. "This was your fault! If you hadn't made me sign up I wouldn't be in this mess!"

Jin shook her head, her eyes thoughtful, and a glint of guilt flitting across her face. "I know how you feel—"

"No, Jin, you don't." Katara sighed. "She's pregnant. Mai is pregnant with hi child. _His_. He never loved me. He just wanted me. He used me. Like a toy. H-he would just play with me until I became boring and dull and then he would toss me aside and seek out a shinier more new one."

"Kit Kat—"

"See you later, JJ," Katara said, turning to walk over to her dull blue truck. It was old, and once belonged to her grandfather Pakku. She hesitantly peered over her shoulder, silently debating whether or not to turn back. Song still stood on the porch, and Jin was frozen in place. They watched her with sad eyes, with something else hidden there.

She turned her backs to them, realizing it would be best to be alone and blow off some steam.

"Hey WAIT!"

She sighed, thinking it would possibly be Jin or Song or Toph, but it was her idiotic brother. Today, he wore a blue plaid shirt, very short jeans, and flip-flops.

"You owe me cactus juice for not ratting you out to Dad," he said stubbornly, folding his arms.

She sighed irritably, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her wallet. "Go buy it yourself," she said, handing him a twenty dollar bill. She was not in the mood for his weirdness.

He accepted it. "I would, but the manager won't let me buy it! He says I have issues..."

"Then let Jin buy it for you! Just…leave me alone, okay, Sokka?"

He didn't get a chance to respond, since she had climbed into her car and he was down the road, tears falling from her eyes, one by one...heavy pain swelling her broken heart.

She shook her head, thinking, _I brought this on myself...he's just a selfish jerk, and I fell...Never again. I will never forgive him..._

**{*}{*}{*}**

Zuko felt cold and lifeless for two reasons.

One: The whole world now believes he is the father of Mai's child.

Two: Katara could have watched that.

He paced the length of his dark room, the only light coming from the glow of his laptop which lay open and tempting on his desk. He...did not regret his choice.

He had saved her life—her future—in exchange for his own. What did his life matter? His life was ruined a long time ago what with his messed up family...but her...she had a lovely life, and he wanted to keep it that way, not expose it to the reality of the world.

He did not want to blow out that candle of hope, but he wanted it to continue with its glowing warmth. But in order for that to happen, he had to be pulled away by the shadow of darkness formally known as Mai.

He shook his head and froze, slowly looking over at the computer. He remembered her asking him what his inspiration was, and he not having an answer for her. He did recall, however, being driven by his emotions for his very first novel.

With a low long sigh, he walked over and sat, staring at it blankly. And then, lifting his fingers over the keyboard, started to type.

* * *

><p><strong>Omimonkey. I normally have a wave of happiness when I finish a chapter, but now...:{( (sad guy with a mustache)...I feel just terrible for doing that. (sighs heavily) but it had to be done, no matter how MUCH I dislike it. :( okay...question of the day: if you could date any of these guys, who would it be.<strong>

**1. Zuko "Pick me, and I'll take off my shirt"**

**2. Aang "Pick me, guys, and I'll take you on a ride on Appa and let you hold Momo"**

**3. Jet "Pick me, because I'm so sexay"**

**4. Haru :{ "Pick me, and I'll let you brush my long, lush hair"**

**5. Sokka "Pick me and I'll model some of my outfits for you"**

**I'm kind of caught between Haru and Zuko. But if there are boys out there reading this, who would YOU rather date:**

**1. Katara "I'M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR A RELATIONSHIP!"**

**2. Toph "Whatever"**

**3. Jin "Heeey, cuties"**

**4. Song "I never agreed to this"**

**5. Suki "I'm with Sokka"**

**Anyway, review, please! TFFN! Peace out, guys! LOL, Raquel**


	25. Love Is Not Logical

**Zutara-Lova8: omimonkey, thank you soooooo much! :D Awww, shucks! (blushes) Eeeeep, XD (faints) XD**

**Light1172: I hate Mai too. I think every Zutarian in the world hates Mai...O_o...maybe it is best we, ahem, take her out...(dramtic music)...oh, great choice! Zuko is a DREAM BOAT! XD**

**Wolfie2500: Please do! :D She is a complete *****! It's sad, because Katara thinks he's being with her for selfish reasons and truly he is just protecting her...love is messy O_o. Katara: "I resent that." Zuko: "I would, but Mai has me under lock and key. I'm practically in the movie Misery!" Wow, very well spoken. (claps)**

**love me: Hullo! My head is doing well. :) Thank you very much, I try. (smiles) I know, right? Mai is a nightmare, a BIG BLAH of a nightmare! Hmm, when young, one does not know how to handle romance...(shakes head sadly)...Zuko has always been brave, like that time he saved Katara from that lightning bolt (best Zutara scene EVER). You just desribed Mai perfectly! :D Words of wisdom, my friend, words of wisdom! :DDD Joo Dee IS annoying, the type of person who would be hiding outside a window while one was sleeping in some sort of weird horror flick. She possibly may do so, as long as there is something in it for her... Awww, Zuzu...I wish he existed... And haru really IS under appreciated! He is so cute and so strong, except for when he got that musache...:{**

**AnnaAza: Yes, would you like to do the honors, Aza? (shoves Mai forward) Be my guest! :D (sighs sadly) Poor Zuko, indeed...his life seriously sucks.**

**Another chapter, featuring some cool people...**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-Five<p>

Love Is Not Logical

"Here it is."

Zuko slammed the folder down on Long Feng's desk, feeling both waves of relief and pain striking painfully at his chest. He had finished it, he had finally gotten over his writer's block and he had managed to get himself to write again. He felt proud of that, but more than that, he felt...well, no words could describe the odd, acid feeling in his stomach.

What he had written would obviously not be taken into account that the events had happened, that almost every word was as real as dusk. He watched as Long Feng permitted a startled look to cross his face.

Gingerly, he reached over and opened it, flipping through the pages with a skeptic eye, and with a sigh of boredom, he said, "Interesting story. I suppose it will due."

Quite frankly, Zuko didn't care if it was good enough, only that its meaning would be exposed to the world. But...they wouldn't know. How could they?

"Thank you," he said, attempting a smile.

"Odd plot, though," he mused, furrowing his black brow into a straight line. "Christopher Andrews, a famous artiest who seeks inspiration in Hawaii falls in love with a local—Lilia McCloud. A little overdue on the deadline, but I suppose I shall look past this..."

His words now became a blob, no longer concerning Zuko in the slightest bit. He kept a straight face, secretly praying she would read this story, that she would understand the secret message he was sending.

Sighing mentally, he realized that this wasn't going to happen, that she wasn't going to read it. She hated him. If she hadn't originally seen it on the news about him and Mai, she must have seen it in the past two months.

Summer was over, and the autumn breeze was starting to roll in, much to his "girlfriend's" dismay, since she hated the hot/cold. Come to think of it, she hates things, period.

Long Feng set the book down and gave a curt nod, dismissing him from his home. He gladly departed, but not before his publisher could add, "Congratulations on Mai's pregnancy."

"Thank you," he said without turning or even stopping.

Why?

Why did everything have to play out the way it did? Why did Mai come home early? Why did she have to do this to him? Why couldn't she just let go of him and find someone new? He didn't know any of these answers, but he desired to.

He was just thankful Mai had not brought up the concept of marriage, but he suspected it was close, seeing as how the reporters were tracking them down and nailing every story without mercy, asking very personal questions about the subject.

Most likely she would soon blackmail him about that too, and naturally he would agree. Submit to her wishes. Like he always did. More than once, he found it very tempting to reject her every order and kick her out of his life forever, for he was no longer concerned what she could do with him. Down with the publicity, fortune, and fame. But...

But she could hurt Katara easily.

The horrifying thought of Katara being forced out of Columbia was etched into his mind, and the inn being closed, forcing the Kalan family to go who knows where. Alaska or Hawaii, perhaps. Back home, and far, far away from everything they know and love.

Just the way Mai wished it. She needed to be taught a lesson.

And perhaps Iroh could assist him...oh, good gosh what was he thinking? He could hold a grudge and be furious (perhaps even daydream about it), but not actually put it into action! He was not that type of man, he was much more honorable, despite what his father and Mai had to say.

He wondered, as he climbed onto his motorcycle, what it would be like if she wasn't in the picture anymore, like she had just...vanished.

The thought was appealing...but unlikely.

He had nearly hurled when he forcefully lied that the child was his, straight into the lens of the video camera and right into the world. Now he had a number of sad fangirls who were sending him sob-letters about how they had wanted him. He, of course, threw them out.

In times like these, he would run through his head in search of someone to talk to, seeing as how that selection was limited, he had to narrow it down to two people, and one of them was seriously a no-no. There was no way he would actually ask his sister, one of Mai's friends, for advice on this situation. For obvious reasons. So, he had only one option, even though he really resented it.

Uncle Iroh.

Nothing against his uncle, it's just he could be a real strange man at times, and gave confusing advice that he said in riddles to make it a little hard for his nephew, which was not appreciated, mind you.

But it gave his creative writing mind a task to complete. So, against his will, he decided to pay dear Uncle Iroh a visit, no matter how much he may regret it later. But then again, it may just be the solution...

**{*}{*}{*}**

Remembering what Iroh said on the first day, he went to the Order of the White Lotus Club, where a bunch of old people would gather around to play Pai Sho and drink tea. There were a few young teens there, but they looked beyond bored to a point where a man's occasional burp became amusement.

The windows were circular, and had no glass; the walls were a creamy color, the floor light wood. The bar had no trace of alcohol, but just tea leaves, fancy China, and some food. Basically, it was like the bar of the senior universe.

He tried not to make contact, pulling the hood of his black hoodie over his head. Any of these teens could know who he was, or even the adults. And if so, he would possibly be mauled right then and there by the three pre-teen girls sitting with some old people.

He saw his uncle sitting with six others, two of them girls. He walked over to them, observing them carefully.

He nearly gasped when he saw an old man with hard greyish blue eyes and long, silvery white hair in a low ponytail, the very same man he had seen in the pictures at the Cala Inn.

Beside him, there was a man with a long scar going his right eye. His eyes were amber, and full of a blazing fire hidden deep beneath the crusts of his very soul. But his hair took the show; big grey and Einstein-ish.

And next to him was a slightly younger man with olive skin, hazel eyes, and black hair, a dagger in his boot. There was a very muscular man who had a crazed look in his off green eyes. It looked as if he had been taking steroids, but did an overdose.

The two women were both unattractive, one of them speaking about fortunes while the other merely flashed glares at the youngsters who talked trash about the place. Ah, very pleasant people.

"Nephew!" Iroh said abruptly, rising from his chair. "How lovely to visit me and my old buddies!"

"Offensive," the greyish blue eyed one said, stroking his thin mustache and stared cryptically at him. "This your nephew?"

"Indeedy!" Iroh shoved Zuko into a seat next to him, a proud smile on his face. And before Zuko could stop him, he grabbed his hood and jerked it down, fully exposing his face. "Ain't he handsome? I reckon he gets it from his supa sexy uncle."

The greyish blue eyed one stared coldly at Zuko for moment, but then returned to his noodles.

"I have to agree," the fortuneteller said, pursing her lips, which had obviously had some work done. And she wore too much makeup, making her resemble a clown. "You sexy man, you."

Iroh shuddered. "My apologizes, Wu, though I am honored by your advances, my affections lie with someone else."

She sighed heavily, as if she had expected that answer from the beginning. "Ahhh," she breathed, lifting up a tile an examining it carefully, like it held a secret message.

"Now, my nephew," Iroh said, redirecting his attention back to Zuko. "This, as you know, is Wu Jing, she is a fortuneteller!"

Wu glanced over at Zuko and said in an all-knowing tone, "Your life, I sense, is full of suffering and pain."

"I already know that," he grumbled

"Anyway," Iroh went on. "This is Pakku Kalan"-he gestured toward the silver haired man-"this is Jeong-Jeong Jones"-toward Einstein dude-"Piandao Bronson"-toward dagger man-"Hama St. Clair"-toward the scowling old hag-"and Bumi Rockwood"-Finally, at the steroid man.

Bumi made a snorting laugh like Iroh had said something quite funny.

"Very nice to meet you," Zuko said, trying to pull the hood back up but his dearly beloved uncle would not have it.

"I am told your girlfriend is pregnant," Jeong Jeong said. "I bid you a fair warning—pregnancy brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk on razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart."

"Ahhh, good ole JJ," Iroh said, smiling broadly. "Always the optimist. Always enlightening people with such kind words!"

Zuko didn't think so, in fact, he didn't feel enlightened at all. He felt terrified and was already regretting his choice on coming over. But he was there, so he might as well get it over with. But first, he needed Iroh's pals to disappear for a while.

Before he could request privacy, Iroh said, "Tell 'em what ya do for a living, JJ!"

A grim look flashed across Jeong Jeong's face. "Ahhh, I was the military. Served for thirty years, fifteen tours to Iraq."

That explains it, he thought. He wished to dismiss them and get straight to the subject, but Piandao spoke up.

"Tell me, Zuko, do you sword-fight?"

That question was seriously strange, considering the century they were living in. You didn't see people walking up and down the streets with swords dangling from their belts, now do you? He shook his head. "No, but I have two antique swords at home."

Piandao sipped his tea, his gaze almost thoughtful, yet firm. "The sword is a simple tool, but in the hands of a master it becomes the most versatile of weapons. And just as the imagination is limitless, so too are the possibilities of the sword."

Why the hell were these people talking like they were? What was this? Some medieval movie?

Piandao checked his watch and sighed. "Speaking of which, I must go." He stood up quickly without knocking anything over and grabbed his brown coat. "I must go to my student. He is you grandson, I believe, Pakku," he said kindly to the silver haired man, and then departed like a ghost.

"I own a pet shop!" Bumi said randomly, beaming like a child on Christmas morning. "It's called Mr. Flopsy's Shop! I named it after my pet…"

Zuko wasn't sure whether to be disturbed or fascinated. Before he could say anything—_again_—someone else spoke up.

"What about you, Hama?" Bumi asked the sour looking old woman who resembled the hag from _Snow White_.

"I used to be a hooker," Hama said with a wave of her hand. "Now I just hang around here." She lifted her hand and examined her nails cryptically.

"Okay."

This was seriously not how he had planned this. He looked over at Iroh, his eyes pleading that he speak with him in private, not surrounded by his old people friends.

Iroh looked understanding, and asked his friends to leave his nephew and himself alone for a few minutes. And in those minutes, Zuko confessed the child was not his, and how not only was he being blackmailed, but Katara was too, though she was blissfully unaware. Iroh merely nodded his head, his gaze distant and serious, no longer looking like his jolly self, but the old man he was.

"Your problem is serious, nephew," Iroh said after a moment's thought. "The answer is quite simple."

"I don't understand," Zuko said.

"You must find the answer within yourself," his uncle said in a calm, yet firm, voice.

"Must you—"

"—speak in riddles? Yes. Because that is how we do it here at the Order of the Lotus Club." He dug through his wallet and beamed. "Ooooh, I have a coupon for a free cup of tea!"

"UNCLE! Focus!"

"Right, right..." blushing, Iroh tucked it away. "Anyway, I trust your judgment, and I know you shall make the right choice. Love is not a logical thing, Zuko. You must not think with your head, but rather your heart." His uncle patted his shoulder, stood up, and walked over to get his free cup of tea, and for the first time in the last two months, he felt...hope.

Hope that things would turn out alright, that everything would get better. But first, he had to find the answer 'within himself'...

"OMG! IT'S ZUKO X AGNI!" one of the preteen girls squealed.

Zuko jumped in surprise. His hood!

Ah, _shit_…

* * *

><p><strong>Duh duh duuuuhhhh!<strong>

**Wazzup, my home dawgs? (as my brothers say) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the old people (nothing against old people, fyi). And OMIMONKEY, Hama and Aunt Wu! I thought that would be a nice touch, since I ADORE the characters. Okay, question of the day: If you could replace one actor in The Last Airbender by M Night with the actor of your choice, who would it be? Me? Zuko, duh! No offence to Dev Patel, I think he's cool and all, but he just doesn't fit Zuko's part. He's WAY too old, for starters. AND you can barely see the famous "Zuzu Sexy Scar" on his face! It just looks like a bad sunburn. Anyway, I would replace him with Jesse McCartney, since HE was supposed to get the part in the first place. :( So sad...Anyway, review please! And have a great day. PEACE OUT!**


	26. A Life Without Justice

**black rose-raven angel: Don't be sad, be glad! :D I watched it a couple of times, and trust me, that is MORE than enough. But it's sort of good...I guess. I mean, Jackson Rathbone (the guy who plays Sokka) is SUPA hot. (Don't tell my boyfriend I said there. O_O) Yeah, he is INCREDIBLY obsessed with tea...Hama? What part was creepy, the fact she's buddies with Iroh or the fact she used to be a hooker? (glances around uneasily)**

**black rose-raven angel: THANK YOU! The mustache is so...creepy...O_O Shopping buddies, huh? :) I'm sure he would like that. Quote-unquote: "SHOPPING! (clapping)"-Sokka. haha! Yeah, but dear ole Sokka can't have any, cause of how he, ahem, gets. "It's a giant mushroom! MAYBE IT'S FRIENDLY! FRIENDLY MUSHROOM, MUSHY GIANT FRIEND!" XD**

**love me: Good for you! :) The acting was fairly good, but had its ups and downs. The sad thing was there were only TWO jokes in the ENTIRE film. And they only involved Sokka. Hmmm, you know what I'm afraid of? What is he going to make TOPH like? THANK YOU! :D**

**love me: Yup! :D I just recently watched the episode "The Beach", season 3, in which Zuko took off his shirt and all those girkls were gushing over him, and I decided it would seriously be AWESOME if I gave them a part. :) Also, fangirling is awesome! :D haha you can have Haru! I'll take...(considers)...Ron-John! Kit Kat and Zuzu MUST be together, which is why I have formulated a evil plan...Ahhhh, vous parlez français? Jusqu'au jour où je mourrai, je jure de soutenir pleinement Zutara. Thanks! :D I felt this desire to include them in the story, and this seemed the best way! He already knew Pakku was Katara's grandfather, or at least he assumed. But he was far too nervous to ask, since he didn't really want to get murdered. Hopefully Katara will...hmm...(evil grin)...Thanks! TTFN! :D**

**AnnaAza: Indeed they do. O_O :)**

**Iceblossom22: Everyone seems to want Zuko (not that I can blame them! :). omigosh, omigsh, omigosh...thank you so much! But don't feel bad! What matters is that you're back and better than ever! :) And I am honored by your sweet review. (bows back) May the Zutara be with you!**

**This chapter is from Jin's POV, just so you know. Within this chapter, you shall learn about her and why the way she is...**

* * *

><p>Chapter 26<p>

A Life Without Justice

Jin M. Justice, full of guilt and remorse, found herself incapable to fall asleep.

The dorm was dark, but some moonlight was glinting through the open window, shining on the bed across the room and adding a lovely texture to the redhead. She could faintly hear Song's snores. Outside, the ruckus of New York City was starting to die down a little, but it was still annoying.

But these weren't the reasons why she was unable to sleep; it was the regret that was strangling her insides. Katara's words still stung her, and she winced every time her mind would abruptly bring it up, lashing at her senses like a whip. She had completely ruined her life, and that thought made her want to cry.

Silly, though. Since she never cried. She had assumed Katara needed more time to heal, that eventually she would come around and they would be friends again. But no such thing had happened. If anything, their friendship was wilting.

Last year, they all used to eat lunch together, hang out, pass notes in class, and do what they did. But now...

They rarely spoke to one another, and the only time they spent together was when they were studying, and they never said a word. Well, occasionally they would exchange a brief conversation, but it was purely academic. Not personal.

Katara was distancing herself away from her friends, the exact same way she had when Kya died. But this was a different situation. Jin was the cause. She had pushed Katara into signing up, she pushed their relationship.

But that was her: the pushy and dramatic and annoying Jin. But they didn't understand why she was so, why she acted like such a drama queen. Well, it was a complex subject she had never brought up, not even to her dearest friends or foster family. This subject was one she kept under lock and key, and when she sensed a conversation slowly leading up to it, she would change it at once at fear of people knowing.

With a heavy sigh, she rolled onto her side, staring at the wall where they had hung up some posters of Gregg Sulkin and Taylor Lautner and some other boys she forgot the name of.

Her friends felt incredibly sorry for her, since the crazy, wanna-be-rapist Jet was her brother, and claimed he should be in a straight-jacket. She would merely giggle and agree, but inside...she felt hurt by their words. They just didn't really understand her life.

Katara said her life was drama-filled, she would eat her words if she caught even the slightest glimpse of Jin's. Her life was nothing but misery, something she wanted out of more than life itself.

She sat up slightly, propping herself on her elbow and feeling sweat fall from her brow despite the slight coldness of the room. Her parents were both Italians who moved to Colorado when Jet was only two and she nearly one, and they had a peaceful life in their small town.

She was a country girl, one could say. She loved it. She loved the horses, the mountains, the fresh air, and the crystal clear, never ending skies she could stare at for hours and hours. Life was perfect...

...up until she turned seven.

The events of that day were foggy to her, and she would sometimes find herself unable to remember the little things, her being so young. But now, now that she felt that way, she remembered it so clearly that it looked like it was happening before her eyes.

Her mother needed some stuff at the grocery store, and assigned Jin and Jet to go along. Jin remembered whining about it, claiming she had to take care of Leah (the name she had given her American Girl), but left, nonetheless.

She pouted all through the shopping trip, and whined to her brother, who at the time was quite patient with her and merely nodded his head. Heck, he even let her get some Starbursts.

So, as they were walking home, snacking on the candy, they saw smoke, thick streams of it weaving itself into the sky. People were starting to murmur; some glancing around in panic, and then a fire truck came down the road. Jin felt somewhat excited about that, since no action ever happened in her small town.

Little did she know, this action would change her family forever. They proceeded home despite the ruckus, and when they came home, expecting to see their small, yet classic, home, they ere scarred for life. The flowers that ran along the house, which was a vibrant yellow, and the constant smell of cookies were all drowned out by the heavy amount of smoke.

They both watched in horror as their little house stay aflame, and as the Fire Fighter's struggled to put it out. Back then she didn't believe fire could hurt anything.

No longer did she believe that...

Jin sighed, sitting up all the way from the bed and shook her head. Okay, sleeping was no longer an option. She glanced briefly over at Song to ensure she was asleep, which she was, and kicked the blankets off of her. She needed to go for a walk.

She grabbed her lime green hoodie that had cherries splattered all over it, and pulled it over her head. Perhaps walking would tire her out so she could finally get some sleep, because she did not want to be the walking dead in the morning. She slipped on some bunny slippers, since it was really late and no one would be out of their dorms at that hour, and slipped into the hallway like a shadow.

Fire Fighters had rushed into what was left of the house, looking for any survivors.

Maybe they had escaped, she thought to herself, glancing uneasily around. She was just a child, blissfully ignorant of the world around her, and unaware of the evil things it held. After what seemed like an eternity, the Fire Fighter's walked out of the house and spoke to someone who she assumed was their captain.

Words were exchanged, glances their way, and then, finally, a kindly looking man came over and asked them if they were Jet and Jin Justice, to which they nodded, their voices lost in the fog of pain and confusion.

He knelt down and explained that their parents were gone. Jet understood right away, and from his gaze it was obvious his was trying to fight back tears. Jin, however, was confused. They were gone? Did he mean they had left the house or they...? To answer her question, the captain told the remaining crew, "No survivors."

Jin had never cried harder than she had at that moment. She remembered Jet holding her, and once she had stopped her tears, he had told her she needed to be strong.

Shortly after the events, a social worker came and whisked them away to be put up for foster care, and after three weeks, they were brought in. And so it would continue on. House from house, new life to new life, and it was never longer than five months.

Over the course of time, they were still unable to forget or get over that day, and it haunted them. Jin had this hole in her heart like she had been shot, and she wanted to fill the empty void more than anything. She tried making more friends, but it barely helped. She tried being nicer to people, though it made her feel good, it still didn't exactly work.

And during her pre-teen years it hit her: romance. If she was in love, the pain in her heart would be filled. And so she started dating around twelve. Jet, however, had a different way of coping; he would often glare into space for long periods of time, and then go away to hang out with his friends. She was never sure what he was doing, but she suspected it wasn't anything good.

After many foster homes (thirteen in the last three years before California, but the Markson's didn't count, since they were only there for fifty six minutes), something happened. By a stroke of dumb luck, they wound up in California, a place she had desired more than anything to go.

Although she was greatly pleased by this good news, her brother merely shrugged and said it wouldn't be all that great. But it _was_ great. The neighborhood was fine, although her foster-brother, Chan, drove her up a wall in annoyance. But after two weeks of living there, she met the Kalan family, and Song's family, and soon had friends.

But still, the hole burned more than ever.

"Look at that whore," kids from school would say behind her back when they saw she had a new boyfriend.

If they knew what her intentions were, they would eat their words.

Jin sighed heavily, eyes adjusting to the darkness of the hallway.

People called her "pushy, dramatic, and a hopeless romantic". She was a hopeless romantic, of course, because she craved affection. Dramatic because she wanted to be an actress one day. And pushy...well...whenever her friends mentioned crushes, she jumped right into it, claiming they _had_ to go and tell him how she felt.

She would practically drag said friend over to the boy! But the reason she did it was because...because she didn't want them to feel as empty and alone as she did. And they were, almost, always successful in their actions, and she felt extremely jealous.

It was her pushiness that caused Katara's life to be ruined. Everyone at Columbia was calling her "the great prostitute", all because she had talked her into signing up for that stupid contest.

It was a life without justice.

Glaring, Jin stopped in her tracks and released a long sigh. That was it; she would stop being a meddling fool and mind her own business. Heck, she was just going to let destiny and fate take its course of life for her.

No more love-sick-drama-queen.

Suddenly she felt hot breath on the back of her neck and a hand on her shoulder, and she shivered. Oh, for the love of...she reached into her pocket and pulled out some pepper-spray, turned around, and sprayed him.

"Aggggggggggggh!" he screamed, stumbling back and clutching his eyes.

She continued to glare at him until she saw who he was. "Oh, crap."

Haru Terran...yikes...

"Omimonkey, I am soooo sorry," she said, dropping to her knees and trying to inspect his eyes, but his hands hid them from view. "You okay? I am sooo sorry—"

"It's fine, it's fine," he assured her, but judging by how red his eyes were it didn't look fine. "It's just...pain..."

Blushing fiercely, she said nervously, "Sorry, Haru, I just thought you were some creepy stalker, like in a horror flick. I totally should've been able to tell, since, you know, this is a pretty cool school and not anyone gets into it." Her eyes glanced down at his clothes. Baggy pants, and a sleeveless, thinning shirt. She could almost see his muscles beneath it. Looking back up, she started apologizing again. "Sorry, Haru. I totes thought you were a creepy stalker…"

"You watch too many horror films," he said, rubbing his eyes with his balled up fists.

She frowned, unsure whether he was teasing or being snippy. "Sorry," she repeated, brushing her hair out of her face before reaching out her hand to help him up.

"No prob," he said, accepting it. "I just heard some noise, and, uh"-he paused briefly to hiss in pain, while keeping a straight face"-I wanted to see what was going on. You okay, JJ?"

She giggled when he used her nickname, and she felt her heart flutter. "Yeah, I'm fine, Ru the Pooh," she snickered.

It was more than obvious that Jin was infamous for her nicknames. Haru's was based on his crazy obsession of Winnie the Pooh as a child, and the kangaroo plushy he took everywhere.

He rolled his burning eyes and smiled. "What are you doing up?"

Jin frowned, remembering the reason and wished to shove it aside, but it refused to go away. She became thankful for the darkness when she felt tears pricking at her eyes. She never cried, so when she felt the liquid going down her cheek she was very surprised. It felt foreign to her, and she quickly wiped it away before he could notice. "I just needed some time alone," she said softly, folding her arms and looking away.

"Oh." From the corner of her eye, she saw a look of understanding flash across his handsome face. "How's Katara holding up? Some of my buddies said that she's been kind of depressed lately."

"Ask Song," she said curtly, flicking her wrist. "She's closer to Katara than I am."

"I already asked her," Haru said patiently. "All that she told me that you're blaming yourself—"

Her insides exploded with rage. How dare Song talk about her personal problem with someone else! Regardless if said person was a childhood friend. It was none of her business to talk about what she had her swear into secrecy. She made a mental note off confronting Song later in the morning, perhaps tonight.

"So what? What does that mean to you?" Jin snapped, eyes narrowing.

It felt somewhat strange to be having a conversation with him. Ever since he joined the football team, the two hadn't exactly stayed in touch. They talked sometimes, but it was mostly through text, study group with the gang, and the occasional coffee meet up. But it also felt nice to talk to him without distractions in the way. Whether athletic or academic.

He blushed, clearing his throat. "Because I care about you, okay? We're friends. It's just that...er...um..."

Jin shook her head, drumming her fingers. "Ru, I talked Katara into signing up for that contest," she confessed, straining the words out of her in a very painful way.

He looked at her in confusion, and silence fell upon them. After a moment, he met her eyes expectantly, encouraging her to continue if she wished. And so she would.

"I didn't know she would actually win. But...she did, and I felt proud. Proud that my BFF was falling in love. But as it turns out, he just wanted her, in the, uh, bad manner. And Mai Black, his girlfriend, is pregnant with his bloody child and now Katara is heartbroken and fallen into depression all because of _me_!" She threw her arms into the air dramatically and started to pace, pausing for a moment.

She hissed, and then went on."Because I can't go ten seconds without getting into someone's business—and for some reason, I believe life needs drama. And I just did a serious overdose on Katara's life, and I think she's gonna choke on it. I am the worst friend in history!" her voice rose, but she didn't seem to care that she may have woken up the entire school and possibly all of NYC.

Haru remained calm throughout her venting, waiting patiently for her to calm down before he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "JJ, you are seriously overreacting. Sure, you made a mistake. You're young, th—"

"Haru Michael Terran," Jin huffed, placing her hands on her hips and wearing a look that was a cross between exasperation and irritation. "I am not young. I am twenty-one years old, old enough to drink—which I don't do, FYI." She lowered her gaze. "I'm old enough to know I need to take responsibility for my actions…yet I don't."

She buried her face in her hands. "I am a failure at life," she said, her voice muffled.

Haru shrugged, almost rolling his eyes again at her dramatic behavior. "No, you're not." A smile spread across his face. "Hey, it's pretty late. You want me to walk you back to your dorm?"

"Huh?" she had snapped at him. Did she just hear him correctly? Haru Terran wanted to escort her back to her dorm despite the fact that she had vented against him when he didn't deserve it? She stared at him with wide eyes, half-expecting him to call a bluff.

"I swear," he said, raising his hands, "not for the reasons you are thinking."

Jin snorted. "What, Ru? Don't you find me _haaaawwwt_?" She meant it as a joke, even strutting a pose with one hand on her hip and the other raised in the air, wrist slightly bent, and expected him to laugh, but instead his blush darkened.

"I suppose," he said with a shrug.

"Um, yeah, okay!" she said, smiling when he offered his arm. She kept her cool on the outside, but on the inside she was doing a happy dance while screaming out happily into the night, _Thaaaaaank you, destiny and fate!_

But her insides chilled as the negative entered her mind: she didn't deserve it…so she would make things right. If only she knew how.

"Did you hear about Agni's new book?" Haru inquired.

"No," Jin said curtly, clenching her jaw. "Why would I care?"

He shrugged again. "I dunno. I just thought since you're into romance novels…"

Romance? How ironic. She smirked. "What's the title? _How To Break A Heart For Dummies_?"

When he told her, she felt her insides go cold, and then something bloomed inside of her chest. And then, with fleeting joy, she realized that her answer had arrived on golden wings of hope.

* * *

><p><strong>Super random chapter...but you got to see...why Jet and Jin are the way they are. Poor Jin... okay, question of the DAY: have you ever been in love? Me? A couple of times. And every time I manage to get dates my father ruins it. One time, he bought this lab coat and splattered red paint all over it and got this fake plastic head and answered the door with my CRUSH STANDING RIGHT THERE! :( Not cool...Thankfully, I got down there before my father could say anything idiotic that could possibly ruin my life. Anyway, review please! And I hope you enjoyed! TTFN, Raquel:) PS: About my evil plan...I was thinking we could kidnap Bryan Knietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino and force them to write a NEW ending to season 3 in which Zuko and Kara GET TOGETHER! MWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! BTW, is there anyone here to supports Mako and Korra?<strong>


	27. BANG

**love me: neither do I. I was just using Google Translate! :) Wow! Totally cool, love me!Singing in Spanish with a Russian accent? I suppose that is a little odd-;). Yeah, she has it pretty rough, and she has never opened up about it...:(... I know, right? They kind of look alike, too. With olive skin, almost same color of hair, and sort of the same traits. Maybe the writers were hinting at something when making this. ;) Oh, much worse than a slap, believe me! It feels more like someone is stabbing her in the gutt with a hot-poker (shudders). We can only hope that M Night will make the right choice-personally, I think he should hire Jesse Flower (the girl who voiced Toph in the series)! She would be perfect, despite her age. Oh my gosh...I am so sorry...I can't imagine...if it's any consolation, I know how you feel. I had a crush on this really cute guy, who hung out with me a lot, and I thought he liked me. But it turns out he was just trying to learn more about my cousin. -_- Love isn't logical, as Iroh puts it. Maybe, someday, you should tell him how you feel. :) (hugs) And thank you.**

**Zutarian18: OMIMONKEY! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH! :D (blushes, beaming) I am deeply flattered by your sweet words, Zutarian! :D And as for Mai...I think everyone hates her. :) Not that I blame them. (winks) And don't worry about your English, hun! It's perfect! :D TTFN!**

**Iceblossom22: :D I am glad you are happy and that you enjoyed the chapter! lol, do not worry, blossom, chapters shall come as quickly as they can. :) thank you so much! (applauds) WOO-HOO! GO, ICEBLOSSOM22! (people turn to stare) lol :) I am positive that Jin will, her being her and all. ;) Oooh, you like Harry Potter? Mega cool! ZUTAAAARAAAA! (does weird dance) tee-hee! Good luck on your quest, my friend, and may the Zutara be with you! TTFN! (ps: I know, right? XD) Oh, not at all! ;) lol**

**black rose-raven angel: Mako and Korra are from the news spin off series to "The Last Airbender"-The Legend of Korra. He's a Firebender, and she's the new Avatar, a Waterbender. Basically the NEW ZUTARA! :D And you haven't failed as a fan! (pats shoulder) lol, the hooker thing was (believe it or not) my grandma's idea. She likes the show too, and said that Hama reminded her of some type of weird hooker lady that would be in a horror movie. (rolls eyes and giggles) ROTFLOL! XD Hmm, maybe it is...;)... haha! Fictional characters TOTALLY count! I'm sooo in love with Zuko, and, ahem, Sasuke from Naruto, and (blush) Clawd Wolf from Monster High. I'ma dork! XD**

**pieari1872: Alooooooha! (smiles broadly) OMIMONKEY! I am sooo glad you do! (does happy dance) It sort of is coming to its close, but before then, the chapters shall be full of angst, romance, drama, and randomness! (dramatic music) Thanks so much, pieari! haha! Will do! (winks)**

**AnnaAza: Not all of her foster parents were bad-but they just couldn't tolerate the two kids for obvious reasons. I am sure she will be...:)**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-Seven<p>

BANG

_K__atara was _bored_._

_Actually, bored was an understatement, what she was feeling was beyond that. She felt like all the energy had be sucked right out of her and left only a lifeless body, shuffling around like a zombie and unsure of what to do. _

_Note: She did not crave human flesh, but she did crave fun. Something that wasn't optional at the moment. Why she had agreed to come along with her mother rather than going with her father and brother to Burger King was beyond her, and she was questioning her sanity for doing so. But, her mother had said it wouldn't take long and could use the company. _

_Well, she left out the part that the lines were quite long, and that the workers were unbearably slow. Her only source of entertainment was watching the snowflakes gently drift from the heavens and fall against the surface of the windows and the ground, creating a patch of pristine white, untouched snow. _

_She looked up at her mother. She wore a silver parka, her dark brown hair in a loose bun with a few strands in her face, her oval blue eyes as soft as the ocean. Her mocha colored hand clung tightly to Katara's glove covered one._

_"I'm bored," Katara stated bluntly, pouting by jutting out her lower lip and made a feeble attempt of pulling her hand away._

_"Just a few more minutes, dear," Kya said, glancing at the six people in front of them, one of them talking in a foreign language on his cell phone._

_"That's what you said ten minutes ago," Katara grumbled._

_Her mother ignored her, glancing over her shoulder at the door. Across the street, Burger King stood and she could faintly see their minivan parked outside._

_Katara looked left and right, searching for anything interesting to pay attention to during this dull experience. Sadly, nothing came into view. Again she tried to pry her hand out of her mother's, but it was like trying to pull a mansion up Mount Olympus. _

_With a heavy sigh, the eight year old gave up and pouted, her whole face getting into the act, and her free hand on her hip. Occasionally, she would glance up to glare at her mother, who remained casual despite how long it was taking. Ugh, it felt like she was about to burst with impatience. _

_Finally, every ounce of patience she had left in her body left her and she stomped her foot on the polished floor. "I wanna go, Mom," she said. "Can't I go to Burger King with Daddy and Sokka?"_

_Kya looked at the road; cars seemed to be slipping against the ice, and she frowned. "No, you can wait, Tara."_

_"NO!" Katara felt like shouting, but remained as silent as a mouse, clenching her jaw and continuing her endless pouting. But it was getting her nowhere._

_Sighing, she closed her eyes and started to count, hoping this would distract her long enough so that the whole fiasco would be over. She heard the door open, and the sound of clomping, heavy boots coming into contact with the marble floor. Curiously, she opened her eyes slightly, peering through her long lashes to see a man dressed entirely in black had entered, followed by several others._

_ His hands were in his pockets, his brow furrowed skeptically, and his eyes, despite being fiery amber, were as cold as the icy tundra of the North Pole. As cold as death. Her gaze followed the man, and to her surprise no one else seemed to notice him. _

_How could they not? Everything from his movements and dark flashing eyes resembled a raven, and when he coughed, she could have sworn it sounded like one. She felt her mother's grip tighten, and there was something etched in her blue eyes._

_What was it?_

_Fear?_

_Concern?_

_Horror?_

_Katara was not sure, but she was well aware of something shiny on his belt, and she craned her head to get a better view. To her displeasure, her mother shifted so that she was hiding Katara behind her. Katara was so confused, but...she felt the nervousness in her mother's squeezing hand and her heart started to race faster in her chest._

_ The several men scattered like fallen glass, and she cuddled closer to her mother. Something was not right. Something was out of the ordinary. Kya wrapped a comforting arm around her, but it did not last long. For suddenly, the man with the cold eyes pulled out a gun (his companions mimicked his movement), and shouted, "Everyone freeze!"_

_At once, the people in the bank started to panic, murmuring and shaking in horror. His eyes, which studied and analyzed with person, fell over to the only child in the entire building: the little tan girl by her mother. _

_He almost sneered at the pathetic sight of a mother trying her best to hide her daughter. Katara shivered when the man shot down another man behind them, who was slowly reaching into his pocket to pull out a cell phone. He was still breathing, but barely. His companions shoved everyone to the floor, and then they moved toward the employees._

_A phone rang, and a man in black answered. He shouted something foreign, and one of the men whispered to their leader, who listened intently and hissed something unintelligible. She could faintly make out the words "hostages" and "cops". This frightened her greatly._

_With an agitated sigh, the man like a raven turned his icy stare onto the group, silently choosing who to do away with. His eyes fell upon the child, and his head cocked._

_"Just let her go," Kya said, eyes fearless. "She's merely a child."_

_He could not argue with that. "You heard your mother," he snapped. "Get out of here before I change my mind!"_

_Katara gasped, clutching her mother's arm. "Mom, I'm scared..."_

_Kya hugged her daughter and whispered in her ear, "Go get your dad, sweetie. I'll handle this." She smiled, but it was weakly done._

_Katara nodded and raced out as fast as she could. How couldn't anyone outside notice what was happening inside? She ran across the street, ignoring the fact the cars were still coming, her thoughts solely on getting her father. Her mother would be alright—she would handle it. Everything would be just fine. Nothing bad was going to happen. _

_Her feeble attempts to reassure herself weren't working as well as she had hoped they would, and mentally cursed the slippery ice that was delaying her. Finally, she managed to get across the street and hurried toward the burger joint. Her father and brother were just walking out at that moment, carrying bags of delicious-smelling goods, but she paid it no mind._

_BANG!_

_BANG! _

_BANG!_

_The noise pierced her heart, as if she had been stabbed. It echoed in her head and beyond, and then people seemed to notice._

_"DAD!" she shouted when she had reached him. "I think Mom's in trouble! There's a man in the bank and he has a gun!"_

_Hakoda dropped the bag of food, and it made a plopping noise as it fell in a heap on the snow. His eyes widened, and he stood frozen for moment, but just as quickly, he took off down the street. "Take care of your sister!" he called over his shoulder._

_The police had finally arrived—and were surrounding the building with guns aimed and some guy shouting orders. Katara started crying at that point, not sure of what was happening, since she was innocent to the real world. She hugged her brother, and waited for hours—but it felt like forever._

_Survivors walked out of the building, but there was no sign of the men who had attacked—like ravens, they had simply flew off at the sight of danger. But not before they could pick off the goods. And then an ambulance came and carried several people off. _

_To her horror, one of those people was her mother. Blood dripped from her chest, which no longer moved, and her head was fallen to the side. Her father came back, tears in his eyes._

**{*}{*}{*}**

"Katara—wake up."

Katara opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as sharp rays of light stung her sleepy eyes. "Waaaah..." she yawned, and looked over to see Jin and Song standing by her bedside. "What are you guys doing here?" she managed to ask through the grogginess.

"Yue let us in," Jin said, her eyes tinted with concern. "Geez, Kit Kat, you're sweating like a pig!"

Katara ran a hand through her braided hair. Ew. Yes indeed, she was sweating—heavier than usual, and it was seriously disgusting. Her dream crashed into her mind like a train wreck, and she felt like throwing her neck back and shouting.

She had dreamt about her mother again—and about her untimely death. It didn't make much sense, since these dreams hadn't haunted her since she was eight up till fourteen. Something was triggering them—something that was bothering her. Shaking her head, she looked over and frowned when she saw the time. "Eleven? Wow."

"Thank goodness it is a weekend!" Jin said cheerfully, and Katara, briefly, forgot she was supposed to be mad. "Now, get up, sleepy-head!"

"Fine." Katara groaned, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. Sweat mixed with the ocean breeze. Just like home.

"I was thinking we could all go to StarBucks and hang for a while," Song suggested shyly, fiddling with her cattail-like braid. "We haven't really done anything fun lately…"

"Brilliant," Katara said, opening her eyes to smile at her friend. "We can catch some brunch there as well, yes?"

"By the way," Jin said quickly, reaching into her purse. "I and Haru were just at the bookstore after our morning dose of coffee, when I found this for you…" Hesitant, she reached into her purse and pulled out a hard-cover book.

Katara stared at it curiously, beaming. New reading material? Was this Jin's peace offering? Well, she may just have to accept—_wait a second_... She took the book into her hands and studied it carefully. The cover showed an image of a beach, with a piece of paper and paintbrush, and the words were written in silvery cursive: _The Ocean Muse—by Zuko X. Agni. _Oh, for the love of—! She glared up at Jin with pure hatred. How dare she...!

"What is this?" she snapped.

"Zuko's new book," Jin said cautiously, choosing her words carefully. "Haru told me it just came out. It's already a bestseller."

"Yippee, good for him," she sneered, tossing it into the garbage can and moving over to grab some clothes from out of the closet.

"You need to read it, Katara," Jin said. "I just finished it, and trust me…" She paused when Song nudged her arm harshly. "You have to get over your anger—"

"Excuse me?" she swung around and glared. "You want me to read his _book_?"

"Yes," her friend said casually. "And you have to understand—"

"I'm not reading his crappy book, okay?" Katara grabbed some jeans and a t-shirt and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door angrily. "Just go, okay?"

Song hesitated a moment, and then glanced at Jin with a look mixed with confusion and slight resentment. "Nice going," she whispered softly, and then said to the door. "I'm guessing the coffee trip is off?"

No response.

Jin sighed in defeat, expecting this type of answer. She reached into the garbage and pulled it out, gently brushing it off before placing it onto her pillow. "Fine, we'll go, Kit Kat. But remember, apologizes come in many shapes and forms. While some speak it, others write it." And without another word, she and Song left.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if this bored the crap out of you. :( Anyway, I hope you guys DID enjoy it, and review please! And, BTW, than you guys SO MUCH for your uh-may-zing reviews-you all have been seriously sweet and I can't thank you enough! :) TTFN!<strong>


	28. Over

**Iceprincess87: Your wish is my command, Princess! :)**

**love me: haha! Believe me, I won't tell! (glances around, whispers) I do the same thing sometimes...;)... OMG! YA lyublyu grecheskie tozhe! Russkiĭ yazyk yavlyaet·sya yazykom ya by s udovolʹstviem lern odin denʹ, tak kak eto takoĭudivitelʹnyĭ yazyk. :) it could be true! :D It's a very AWESOME theory, though! :) And even if it's not true, it will be, in our hearts! Jessie Flower MUST get the role, even if I have to storm into M Night's house and DEMAND it! She would be the PERFECT Toph, even though she is older than Nicola Peltz (who plays Katara). It is really sad, isn't it? (sighs sadly, shakes head) It killed me to do it, but I knew it had to be done. Awww, thank you! I am currenlty formulating one for Song as I type! And you shall get to see it in either the next chapter or the one after that. :) Oh, anytime, chica! Yeah, but I'm over him now-since I just recently discovered he waxes his whole body and wears A LOT of hair-jell. X) I am most sure you will, you are a very kind person. :) And I hope and pray that everything goes well with the guy you met! Love is truly has a way of making things happen. :) And thanks again, love me! :D**

**Iceprincess87: Thank you. :)**

**AnnaAza: Mai will probably either blow a casket or not read it at all. X) I suppose...**

**Light1172: Oh, quite alright, Light. :) I completely understand. Awww, thank you soooo much, Light! :D I thought so too, since her family practically has salt water in their veins. :) Haha, I'm glad you like it! :) It's one of my faves too. And thanks again!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-Eight<p>

Over

Katara glared at her reflection in the diamond shaped mirror, running a towel through her damp hair, a few stubborn strands clinging to her face. She could not believe that Jin would actually have her read his book, after everything that had happened. After all the pain she was going through. If this was Jin's idea of an apology than she was way off.

If anything, this would make matters worse than they already were. Didn't she understand how she felt? Her heart still stung at the thought of him, and every time she heard his name being spoken, it felt like someone had kicked in her in the stomach.

She knew what Jin was hinting at; getting back together with him. That was impossible, though.

He obviously had feelings for Mai since she was pregnant with his child, and the fact he kissed her on live TV for the whole world to see. In his eyes, she was but a toy, to be used and then tossed aside like garbage. She would never fall back in his arms again, even if he came straight up to her and begged. She could not trust him.

She sighed.

Running a brush through her hair, she walked out of the bedroom to find that the book was right back on her bed, next to her Hello Kitty plushy her mother gave her for her fifth birthday. Her arms dropped and she glared at the book, cursing it mentally as well as outwardly. What was so great about it, anyway?

It was just a book written by someone who broke her heart. But the more she stared at it, the more curious she became, and finally, it took over her. With a low _hmph, _she took the book into her hands, lifting up like it was a bomb, and studied the cover again. Beautifully done, she supposed.

But as she often told herself, never judge a book by its cover. She opened it up, scanning through. She looked at the acknowledgements, expecting to see something about Mai or his uncle or even his unborn child. She frowned, furrowing her brow in confusion.

_This book is dedicated to my muse, my sapphire, my inspiration._

Cocking her head, she read through it over and over again, wondering if she had missed something. His inspiration. He had not said who or what it was, so she could only guess. But she found her gaze wandering over to the "my sapphire" bit, and it hit her with full force.

Sapphire.

That was the nickname he had given her, and he always said it with a smile. Surely he didn't mean...that she...he would...it couldn't be true. She brushed her fingertips against the words. Would he? Biting on her cheeks, she slowly flipped through the pages until she came across the first chapter, and ran her eyes gently across it.

_The essence of death is one of mercy—it lifts those of us burdened from the dark solitude of our life into a place of peace and prosperity. The feeling is one of great relief. Serene. But to lose someone by death is an entirely different story…to lose someone by the blackness… _

Would he...?

(_Did he kill me off? _She mentally thought, but then disregarded it.)

Overwhelmed, she took a seat back on the bed and continued to read, her heart pounding in her chest, and her breathing becoming shallow, and she felt waves of understanding washing over her.

Her whole body felt clammy, and she could not suppress a smile as she read on. Jin's words rang in her ear "While some say it, others write it", and although, at first, she was confused, she now understood what she meant.

**{*}{*}{*}**

"Agh!" Mai groaned, though her groan sounded more like a monkey, and started to fidget in the glossy black, strapless dress she was wearing, one she had ordered from a designer in France. "This dress is all wrong!"

Zuko regarded her.

Nothing seemed wrong with it; the silky fabric clung tightly around the bodice, the skirt hugging her butt, coming her to knees, and took on the shape of her figure. Not that he was attracted, mind you. He was just bewildered someone could actually move in that thing, plus the pair of black pumps.

She bellowed in rage and plopped down on the white sofa. "All wrong," she grumbled again, pregnancy hormones kicking in at full capacity. "The dress was supposed to have a belt."

It was his turn to groan. All this fuss over a belt—a bloody belt. "You have plenty," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"But not any by the guy who made this disaster," she gestured toward her dress.

She placed a hand over her round stomach, and he wondered why she was wearing something so tight when she was almost three months pregnant. Perhaps it was to show off the fact she was pregnant with "his" child. Ugh, the thought still caused him to shudder, and he felt like puking right then and there, perhaps on that "disaster" of an outfit.

"It will clash," she snapped, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. Since she was dealing with her pregnancy, she was more hormonal than usual. And she was extra moody and "doom and gloom".

"You look fine," he said, straightening his own clothes.

It was a color thing again—and naturally Mai had chosen black. So, he was forced into wearing black jeans, a white dress-shirt, and a black coat, with glossy black shoes. Basically he looked like he belonged in a _Twilight _movie, or _Vampire Diaries_.

Stuff like that. He had not wanted to go to this party, but he didn't have much of a choice since it was dedicated to him. It was about his latest book—_The Ocean Muse. _Everyone had apparently fallen in love with the romance-drama story about Chris and Lilia. But he could've cared less what they thought about it. What really mattered to him was whether or not she had read it. And if she had seen the hidden message he had sent her.

"No," Mai said. "Thing is, I don't have a belt to match. Ugh! My life is over."

Zuko sighed heavily, growing incredibly impatient with her. "I'll just call Azula and ask her to bring something over, since she'll be coming, too."

At once Mai ceased her wails and said, "Oh, fine. Tell her something either grey, silver, black, or white." She started filing her nails.

Rolling his eyes, he turned his back on her and called his sister, who laughed in a shrilly laugh when he asked her to bring a belt over, but she agreed, nonetheless. And in the background, he heard the sickening sound of Zhao laughing. Honestly, why she was dating him was beyond his knowledge of the female species.

Although he was well aware they were the dominate sex. He looked back at Mai; she was running some mascara across her already blotchy eyes. Her grey eyes were as hard and cold and cruel as ever, since she was extra evil now. Ever since she had threatened Katara, she been quite pleased with herself and acted like the Queen of Sheba, having him do her every wish—except one.

Actually having a physical relationship. Of course, it couldn't happen now, since she was with child. But after. He hated his life... he was taken out of his thoughts when a knock came at the door.

"Unlocked!" he called.

Azula stepped inside, wearing a bright red dress that was just as tight as Mai's, but the skirt was slightly looser. Reaching into her black Gucci purse, she pulled out a chunky black buckle. "Here ya go, Mai."

"You are a life-saver," Mai said stiffly.

Zhao followed from behind, rubbing his fingers against his sideburns with a look of pride. "Ahh, here is the hairless wonder," he said, smirking. "No facial hair? Well, you'd have to be a man to have that! And seeing as you are not a man, I fear it may never happen. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"Nice to see you too, Zhao," Zuko sneered.

Zhao looked back over at his girlfriend. "My sweet, we must go soon or we shall be late." He stepped forward and goosed her, causing her to fall into a fit of mad giggles.

"Do not do such things in my home," Zuko snapped, disgusted.

"You've done more than that, my friend," Zhao sneered. "Now—let us go. We don't want to miss the little prince's party."

**{*}{*}{*}**

Zuko's head was already starting to ache—not only from the whining from Mai (though that contributed), but the loud music, flashing lights, and people shouting. There was only so much a man could take.

The press were just as eccentric as usual—crowding to get a snapshot—or better yet, a video—of him with Mai, his sister, or his book. The flashing caused his vision to slowly become a blur, and he had to slow his pace down in order not to collide into anyone. But considering his situation, moving slow wasn't a good strategy.

Like a hungry predator laying eyes upon a limp kill, the fan-girls lunged at him with fierceness, asking him to sign their chests with permanent markers. And then he would be whisked away by his supposed love interest.

Mai clung tightly to his arm, smiling at every person who snapped their picture or congratulated them on the child.

He would only smile in return, a little, and look away, glancing at the faces in the crowd in hope. Would she be here? Like the movie premiere? Would she come to see him? Tell him she read the book or that she loathed him with every ounce of her being. Either way he would be most pleased to see her, since he missed those sapphire blue eyes, the mocha skin, the lush locks...

"I love you, Zuko." Mai shouted abruptly, pulling him in for a kiss. Startled, he forgot to return it, and he earned her sharp fingernails digging into his hand and possibly drawing blood. "Tell me you love me," she hissed in his ears, too low for anyone to pick up.

"Love you," he said, looking away again.

The crowd cheered in response.

He pulled away from her, saying, "I need a drink," and walked over to the bar.

Yes, he had sworn never to drink in his entire life after the incident as a thirteen year old, and his blabbering at a teenager, but now was not the time to lay in the past. He needed a break. Needed to forgot.

"Something strong," he told the bartender, and leaned against the counter for support.

Ugh, this was humiliating, being Mai's little puppet and being forced to say those things, being forced into loving her. Well, he could act it, but he would not feel it. The bartender returned with a foggy colored drink and he chugged it down in one gulp.

It tasted somewhat spicy, briefly burning his throat before he felt pleasure. For a mere moment he forgot all about bloody Mai and her bloody lie, and felt relief. That is, until the bartender said, "Congrats on ya kid, mate."

"Thanks," he said dryly. "What is this?"

"Cactus juice. Want anotha one?"

"Sure," he grumbled, exhaling sharply through the nose. "Make it a double."

The bartender nodded understandably, as if he understood the young writer's dilemma, and slung the rag over his shoulder before moving to refill the glass.

Zuko's thoughts drifted to Katara, and her silvery voice echoed inside his head. _"I know you're afraid. Or not. Either way, you can't let her keep you down forever. This is your life and you deserve to live it."_ The words stung him like a blow to the side of the head with a crowbar.

He was letting Mai take control of his life; he was letting her ruin everything he loved. But in doing so, he had rescued Katara, saved her fate so that she did not have to suffer like he was. Mai would take away her scholarship to one of the most prestigious colleges. It must have taken a lot of work, broken bones, and lots of blood to get there—crawling her way up only to find that she had fallen.

He could not do that to do, he wouldn't. He sipped the drink the bartender came back with and shook his head. He had brought this on himself—he had no choice. It was either Mai or ruin his true love's life. The choice wasn't hard.

He tapped his fingers on the counter.

Why did he have to be afraid of her? Well, technically speaking he wasn't afraid of her; he just feared for Katara's future, which was an entirely different thing. To fear something meant you had an emotion for said thing, and he felt nothing toward Mai. What he felt for Katara was unbreakable.

Abruptly, an idea slithered into his head, and he found himself lost in the deepest bowels of his inner-most thought.

Mai could perhaps take away the scholarship, but what if...what if he paid for it? Paid for Katara to continue going to Columbia? He was, after all, a rich and famous writer. (Not that he was bragging, mind you). And he could protect the Cala Inn also; perhaps give generous donations to help keep it around. Why had he not thought of this before?

These were glorious, brilliant ideas!

He stared lovingly at the glass in his hands and grinned. The fluids in the cactus juice must've cleared his complex-over worked mind just enough for him to formulate this plan. He took another large sip and felt a huge sense of relief relax his shoulders.

Grinning broadly, he left some money (and a large tip), and raced over to where Mai was standing, taking pictures with her father, smiling falsely. Even Joo Dee was in the crowd, attempting to weave her way toward the director and daughter.

Mai slowly turned to look at him, a scowl creeping across her face. Obviously she was not pleased that he had left her for so long. "Zuko!" she opened her arms wide, the scowl turning into a cheeky smile. "Where have you been? I tho-"

"We're over," he said cheerfully.

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffy! :D Duh duh duuuuuuuuuuuh! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Review, please! TTFN! XD<strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar. Happy?**


	29. WhatEvEr

**black rose-raven angel: (hands tissue) I know, right? I am proud of him too...:)**

**black rose-raven angel: WOOHOO! :D I forgot to put it in there...:(**

**love me: I can't find out; Google Translate isn't working at the moment. :( I'm glad too, because it was driving me NUTS to get that man to grow a SPINE! Zuko: "I am offended." I know, right? She completely ruined his life since high school and had tried to ruin Katara's too. That woman is a *beep*. :D I probably wouldn't have done anything with Song had you not mentioned it. Thank you. :) It is destiny! Fate! You two...your paths are now linked together, as Iroh would put it. Believe me, I am WELL over him! (rolls eyes) That guy wore more hair jell than Ken (from Barbie) did. Yeeeaaaah it would... but he's my cousin's problem now! }:} Mwahahahahha! :D Same here! I hope your autumn romance goes great! (pats shoulder) lol haha, I got the idea from my brother, who apologized to his girlfriend by writing her a mini-60 page story about her. Thanks so much, love me!**

**Luna Locura: ROTFLOL! XD**

**AnnaAza: Read and find out, my friend. ;) hehe.**

**zutaradeserveschances: haha, indeed he will, indeed he will...:)**

**apple: Amen to that, sista (or brotha)! (squeals) You're my 100 reviewer...(faints)**

**Light1172: haha! ^_^ It is about time! Took him long enough to realize! (rolls eyes) Not well, my friend. Not well. I'm glad that you're glad! But it did take a while for the (as Jin puts it) "sexy man" to figure everything out. Hmm, one would think as a writer, he'd be able to figure out what to do. (rolls eyes) read and find out...;)**

**ForbiddenLove3535: Eeeeeeeeeeeeep! I am soooooo glad you like it! XD (does happy dance) thank you sooooooo much, Forbidden! :D**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-Nine<p>

What-Ev-Er

"I can't _believe _you talked me into this," Song grumbled, her fingers moving agonizingly slow across the keyboard of her large, black laptop.

"Hey, _you _agreed, remember?" Jin said, poking her friend's shoulder in a playful manner. She was bobbing her head to the light jazz music playing from her iPod, fingers snapping. "Besides, it's the right thing to do—"

"Since when did doing something illegal be the right thing to do?"

Jin raised her delicate eyebrows, doing a quick twirl as she did so. "Umm, are you aware of the world you live in, Sing-Along-Song?"

"Never mind," Song sighed, giving up on the conversation entirely, deeming it useless and a waste of energy. "Turn off the music; it's distracting."

She had to remain focused if this mission was going to fall through. Any mistakes would result in heavy failure and disgrace, possibly winding in jail or worse. She paused for a second, rubbing her temples and stared at the computer screen with narrowed eyes, which were also bloodshot from weariness.

It did not help that Jin was breathing down her shoulder, hurrying her. She tried to ignore it, but unlike most days where it had to do with flirting and whatnot, now she couldn't due to the situation. Everything had to go right. If not, it would end drastically for them.

She cracked her knuckles and went back to typing, faster this time. She breathed in, and out, trying to keep her nerves calm, but that was almost impossible to do, despite the fact people admired her great patience and tolerance. She was her father's daughter, after all.

"How long does it take?" Jin asked, breaking through her calming thoughts. She reached into a bag of gummy bears and started chewing obnoxiously.

"What?" Song flashed her a brief glance before looking back down.

"To hack into someone's e-mail account," Jin said, waving her hand and smiling casually like they were having a perfectly normal conversation. "Want a gummy bear?"

_Ignore…remain focused. Pretend you're in a Mission: Impossible movie. _

Song furrowed her brow, wondering if she should tell the devious, cunning Jin the secret, but she decided against it, afraid Jin would use this knowledge for evil. Like hack into Haru Terran's FaceBook account and find out every detail about him.

Although one might say Jin would never do such a thing, Song wouldn't put it past her. She did attempt to hack in Teo Thomson's FaceBook in order to gain info on him for Song, who had a crush on him. She had nearly fainted in horror when she had discovered the deeds her friend was attempting, and put a stop to it at once.

It took several hours to undo the damage Jin had done.

And just to get Jin off her back, she fibbed that Teo no longer interested her. A lie, of course, since she still had feelings for the boy in a wheelchair.

"If we wind up in jail, I'm blaming you," Song said seriously.

Jin snickered, leaning back in their moon chair, a broad smile spreading across her face, morphing into something that resembled cheekiness. "You'll thank me one day. BTW, where'd you learn all this stuff again, Sing-Along-Song?"

"You say that a lot, and it never ends well," Song sighed again, both in exasperation and weariness, and avoiding the question.

It was midnight, way too late to be staying up, since she liked to be in bed around ten o'clock. But Jin, of course, had other plans, plans that involved doing something against the law.

"Relax." Jin nudged her with her toe. "Where do ya have to be tomorrow?"

"It's Sunday," Song said, frowning. "I've got to help my grandpa over at the pub. And then I have church. My whole weekend doesn't center entirely on sleeping in and shopping, Jin."

"True, true," Jin said, shrugging. "But remember, we're doing this for Kit Kat."

Song opened her mouth to snap something back, but she couldn't find anything to say. Jin had a very good point; this w_as _for Tara. The things she did for friendship and justice.

Turning her head to the side, she noticed a smug look on Jin's olive toned face, which only caused her to grow even more annoyed. "I know," she said, pulling some strands of reddish brown hair out of her face. "But still, Jin, this is idiotic."

"Hey, idiotic actions for idiotic people," Jin said, like it was simple math.

Song felt offended by that comment and glared at the computer screen.

"Where'd you learn all this stuff, anyway?" Jin asked again cheeks bulging with gummy bears. "Since you're such a goody-goody."

"You do enjoy offending me, don't you, Jin Justice?"

Jin smirked. "As you enjoy lecturing me on boring topics. Now, stop avoiding the question."

Song scowled. "My dad taught me," she admitted.

"Your dad hacks into stuff for a living? Is his job just a cover-up?"

"NO!" Song snapped, nearly making a mistake in her hacking. "Now, shut up, I need to focus."

Her father taught her this technique in case she was ever in a situation where she needed to get help or something along the lines. He didn't do it for a living, though. He was in the army, served for twenty-three years and has made six tours to Iraq, where he was now, and had been for the last two years.

This was normal, she supposed. Then again, nothing was normal with war—it was just a big, blurry mess created by man. Not God. Man. It had nearly been two months since she had heard from him, and she was growing concerned by the hour. One month was alright—but almost two... it could only mean three things:

1. Bad service

2. On some mission

3. Dead

She dearly hoped it was not number three, and that it was any of the others. But she was starting to have doubts. She couldn't talk to her mother about it because she would just ignore the subject and claim her father was alright, but deep down, she knew something was wrong.

No word from the army yet. But that was a good thing. It meant there was nothing to report.

She shook her head; she had to remain in the real world, not in her thoughts. At least while she was doing this, anyway. She nibbled on her lower lip, flashes of numbers and weird symbols popping up onto the screen. "Crud," she hissed, her fingers moving quicker and hastily.

"What? What?" Jin was at once by her side, eyes wide in confusion.

"A virus!" Song gasped in both horror and exasperation. "Oh, shoot! Shoot!"

Odd symbols and words were splattered across the screen, colors shifting like the aurora. Her typing went faster, a crazed look in her eyes as she knew that things were starting to go downhill. Said person must've put some sort of protection over what they intended on hacking, and it was complex.

Too complex for anyone to figure out. But she wasn't anyone.

Her father could handle this before breakfast while still on his first cup of coffee, still dazed. And if he could do it, so could she.

The screen flashed for a moment, and then went black.

No one moved…both remaining silent.

A new image popped up, and there was a ding. "Yeeees," Song sighed with relief when a new screen popped up. "This is it, JJ. I've got it."

"The account? Briiiilllliaaaant!" Jin hollered, doing some dance from a Beyonce video.

"Shut up!" Song snapped. "Someone may hear you."

Pouting, she stopped dancing and turned off the music. "Okay, what now?" Jin asked, beaming like a child on Christmas.

"Easy," Song said, a smile coming across her face. "We begin." She typed slower, making sure everything looked perfect, and as she typed, Jin giggled, trying to suppress her roars of laughter and triumph. And then, with a proud look on her face, she hit "send".

"Yes," Jin whispered, high-fiving herself. "Ya did it, guuuurl!"

Song's smile turned sheepish. "Thanks."

"Now what?" Jin asked, leaning against her bed.

"Now, we go to sleep," Song said, smirking.

"Girlfriend, you are soooo not any fun. I thought the Irish were supposed to be lively," Jin said, scowling, but giggles escaped her lips.

"Half-Irish," Song said, frowning. "No get to sleep."

"Okay, okay. Fine. Nighty-night, butterscotch," she said, quoting "Night at the Museum" (ever since they saw that movie, they had quoted it ceaselessly).

"You crackin' wise?" Song countered.

"What-Ev-Er." Jin made a yawning-giggle sound before she started snoring, and Song smiled, turning back to her computer.

"Well done, Song Clarissa Monroe," she said to herself, no longer feeling like what she had just did was stupid and childish.

She closed the laptop, and stood up, stretching her arms over her head and released a yawn. Man, was she beat. She crawled into her bed, stretching her legs over the soft fabric and nuzzled up to her Pokemon, Volpix. She would never openly admit it, but she was a huge fan. Anyway, it was time for some well deserved rest…As she was slipping into a peaceful slumber, her cell phone went off, much to her dismay.

"Uggghhh," she moaned, grabbing it on the side table and bringing to her ear. Who would be calling at midnight? Whenever she received a call this late it was because her grandfather got drunk at the pub again."What? Grandpa?"

"Song, dear...," Clarissa said into the phone.

"Hiya, Mom," Song said, yawning.

She felt relief that it wasn't Moe (the assistant bartender) who had called to inform her about her grandfather. But her relief quickly changed into surprise.

It was most likely around nine back in California, and by that time her mother would be sound asleep-so receiving a phone call from her at that hour was quite surprising and took her off guard. "What is it?"

"How's Grandpa?" her voice came out shaky and unsure.

"Fine. He's two week sober."

"Good, good…"

"Mom?" Song sat up straight. "What is it? You wouldn't call if it wasn't important."

"It's about your dad," Clarissa said, hesitating.

"What?" Song was already as alert as a dog who caught a whiff of the trail. "Is he alright? Is he dead? Answer, Mom!"

"He's...they aren't sure, sweetie," her mother said gently.

"HOW CAN THEY NOT BE SURE!" Song shouted, forgetting she was supposed to be silent.

"Because he's MIA." **(Missing In Action)**

**{*}{*}{*}**

Mai was dumbstruck, and the sight amused Zuko immensely. He smirked at her, enjoying the dead silence that had fallen across the once eccentric crowd. The music had even stopped. The reporters stared from him to her, back and forth, unsure of what to say or do.

Finally, she regained her dignity and rolled her eyes. "Oh, such a goofball!" she laughed, and everyone joined in.

"I'm not kidding, you selfish bitch," Zuko said.

Everyone fell silent again, staring at him with wide-eyes. Mai, especially. "What did you say to me?" she said through gritted teeth.

Zuko smiled cheerfully. "I said that you're a selfish, cruel, horrible, devious, devilish bitch," he said, beaming. "And that's not even the half of it."

"You...you..." Mai's whole body shook in anger, steam coming right out of her ears. "How dare you!"

"How dare I?" he mused. "I have done nothing against you."

"YOU HAVE!" she pointed an accusing finger at him and said to everyone, "He cheated one me! I've been faithful and loyal—"

"You've been nothing of the sort," Zuko said. "You cheated one ME. In fact," he turned to look at the camera, "the child she is carrying isn't even mine. Take a blood test if you wish."

Mai's pasty face lit up bright red like a tomato and she glanced around frantically, her eyes turning a thunderous grey, and she stepped forward to hiss in his ear, "You're so going to regret this..."

He shoved her away. "I'm not going to regret this, Miss Mai," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "You've ruined my life long enough. Tell them everything. I do not care."

She smirked. "Ah, so you don't care about your whore?" she asked, believing she had trapped him, but he was way too fast for her.

"I will pay for her to attend Columbia," he said, shrugging. "And I'll help the Cala Inn out. I love her more than I fear you, bitch. Oh, I almost forgot...pack your bags, Mai. I want you out of my home and my life."

Mai's fingers twitched, and as did her eye. He was defying her, and she was not used to this. "You wouldn't," she snarled.

"I would," he said, and then he turned around and started walking away. "Oh," he called over his shoulder. "By the way, Mai...I would get a very expensive lawyer, if I were you..." he let the threat hang, and he heard her scream in rage.

As he walked out of the party, the crowd of people parted like the Red Sea. He had never felt this free before, and he loved it—like a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Once outside, he sucked in the sweet smelling air and beamed. He had a chance at a new life...a better life...

"Zuko."

He turned, thinking it would maybe be her, but instead he saw his sister.

"Good job," she said, smiling.

"Thanks," he said, smiling back, and then looked away to call a cab.

_Please be there, my saphire...please..._

* * *

><p><em><strong>That was my fave part in the entire story (so far)! :D Finally Zuko managed to confront that witch! I hope you guys enjoyed that as much as I enjoyed writing it. Phew, it feels good. And I gave you a glimbse of Song's life! :) I really, really, really hoped you all enjoyed and please review! Okay, question of the day: do you have any weird nicknames your friends have dubbed you? Me? Well, one of my friends calls me Rock-Head, because my name is Raquel. And Rock n Pebbles, by my BFF. (rolls eyes) TTFN! :D<strong>_


	30. Perks To Being Brother Of A Rich Man

**Sucks: What-Ev-Er.**

**Iceprincess87: hehe, that I did. :)**

**pieari1872: YES! HE DID! THAT SEXY MAN FINALLY GOT UP THE COURAGE! (does a weird happy dance) lol, you shall soon learn, pieari. You shall soon learn. Haha! Update coming riiiiigghhtttt uuuup! ;)**

**black rose-raven-angel: lol Minion? ^_^ It really worse...my brother knows from expierence...:(...She would have the closure if she knew he was dead, but with MIA...anything can happen...(perks up) Yes, Zuko is truly uh-may-zing! ^_^ He sure showed Mai, that *beep***

**AnnaAza: There are...:(...lol, (cheers) YAY ZUKO!**

**Zutarian18: testify, sista! I know, right? I thought it would be seriously cool if Zuko said it instead of her, since I LOVE using quotes from the show. :) Hmm, it's just like a romance story...wait this is a romance story...O_O...anyway, (glances around awkwardly) haha! Same here! (giggles) Hey, dreams can happen, Zutarian! Until next time! TTFN!**

**X-Man: You're welcome, Xavier. :)**

**love me: It is so annoying when it does that! (rolls eyes and giggles) I have some military members in my family, too. One brother (Air Force), uncle (Marine), cousin (Navy), my brother's fiancee (Army), and so on. hehe. It seriously sucks not knowing if someone you care about is in harms way. ^_^ believe me, that scar on her leg is coming up reeeaaaal soon. Maybe this chapter or the next. :) lol! He really is creative and a VERY good writer, but he doesn't like to talk about it because he thinks guys will consider him a "wuss". (rolls eyes) Men! ROTFLOL! She actually enjoys his advances, since she's tall, skinny, blonde, blue eyed, and perfect. She's basically a walking Barbie doll. O_O It may not seem so, but it is. (nods slowly, eyes wide) You ran into him again? This is truly romantic! :} (sighs dreamily) (considers) How about M-Girl? There's a possibility. :) (hands tissue) I know...our little boy is growing up...(bursts into tears) I've always loved the idea that Azula and Zuko would be on good terms with each other, since I was kind of disappointed with the ending. as all siblings, they have their bad days, but in the end they love each other. :) TTFN!**

**patty cake rocks: (hollars at the top of my lungs) (people turn to stare) (continues to hollar)**

**Spellcheck: Thanks. :)**

**[blank]: Zuko: "Thank you." :) I'm glad you enjoyed it! XD**

**Hi, guys! Wazzup? Warning: Sokkaness up ahead...you've been warned!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Thirty<p>

Perks To Being Brother Of A Rich Man

By the time he had reached the Cala Inn, everything was entirely consumed by blackness. Stars seemed to vanish, and the moon was in a crescent shape. There were dim lights on the walkway up to the building but they wouldn't help much. He paid the driver and raced out without a single word, his eyes glued to the building and racing forward.

Stumbling in the shadows, he kept going, his heart set. Hell, he could have gone through whatever torture Billy Jigsaw could inflict on him and he would still go to her, even if his ankle was cut off...

The white curtains were pulled back over the windows, and he could see shadows faintly moving in the lobby. He froze when he reached the door, his heart pounding so hard against his chest he feared it would break free and fall onto the porch.

What the hell was he going to say to her? How was he going to handle this situation? How would she react to seeing him?

He rubbed the back of his neck, taking in some calming breaths like his uncle had showed him. Finally, he felt his shoulders relax and set his head straight, though his heart still thumped mercilessly against his ribcage like a hammer.

And then he walked inside. The sweet smell of vanilla and the ocean struck him, and filled his head with memories, both pleasant and unpleasant. He felt a smile twitch at his lips when he recalled the first day of his arrival, when Hakoda and Sokka were playing Battleship and acting random while Katara blushed fiercely….

…and then he thought about their dispute…

The way they had argued in the hallway over the fact he would "probably" breakup with Mai, which led to their relationship's demise. Oh, how stupid he had been...

He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the light around him. Behind the desk, Hakoda stood, typing on his computer while Sokka played his GameBoy on the couch, cursing Ganondorf for kidnapping Princess Zelda.

And, to his surprise, he saw Iroh leaning casually against the counter, wearing light brown cargo shorts, flip-flops, a short sleeved beach-shirt, and Garfield tie. It was an odd look; the usual Iroh style he was famous for.

It was Sokka who first noticed the young author standing in the doorway, and his eyes nearly bulged right out of their sockets. He stood up, tossing the GameBoy aside and reaching into his pockets, rummaging around for goodness knows what. He pulled out a sword. He kept a giant samurai sword in his...pocket. Interesting.

"How dare you enter the house of Kalan!" he roared, climbing onto the coffee table. His voice was greatly exaggerated to sound heroic. "You disgrace us, you evil servant of Ganondorf, and return to mock us with your petty lies and eeeeevil ways!"

He slashed his sword through the air, slicing some flowers that had once sat peacefully on the side table. That is before they fell onto the floor, beheaded. "I shall END YOU!" Swiftly, he lunged forward, sword raised.

Remembering his years of Northern Shaolin training in high school, Zuko dodged easily with acrobatic movements, fluid and sharp. He vaguely recalled Piandao saying something about training Pakku's grandson, and sadly, this was him.

He just hoped Sokka had not been taking many classes with the master, and that he was dealing with a rookie. But nonetheless, a cactusjuiceaholic with a samurai sword wasn't any more comforting than giving Mai knives with Zuko tied to the wall.

"Relax!" Zuko dodged again, and the sword came down on the desk.

Hakoda looked up for the first time, scowling furiously. "SOKKA! How many times have I told you to not harass the guests! Not only is it rude, but it's bad for business."

As Sokka struggled to pull the sword out, he sputtered, "B-but, Dad—"

"Don't stutter, son, what is it?"

"HE'S BACK!"

Hakoda followed his son's gaze, and like Sokka, his eyes nearly bulged straight out of their sockets. "YOU LITTLE PUNK!" he roared, the whole building starting to shake. He shoved the computer out of the way and attempted to climb over the desk, even though he could easily go around. His hands were outstretched as if ready to choke him.

Iroh kept his cool, stroking his beard. "Hm-hm-hmm, KK, you gotta chiiiiiiiillll-aaaaax," he said, making his hand do the wave.

Hakoda stared at Iroh like he had just turned purple, shrunk, developed an Irish accent, and grew a horn in the center of his forehead. "Are you insane?" he shouted. "He broke my precious daughter's heart!"

Iroh considered this. "Hmm, you're right. Okay, go ahead, HK." He moved aside so Hakoda could climb over easier.

"Uncle!" Zuko snapped.

"Sorreeee," Iroh said, pouting. "Before anyone decides to murda my home boy, I just wanna know somethin'. What the heck are ya doin' here?" He studied his nephew with a mix of childlike curiosity and seriousness. "It's like M. Night Shyamalan directing a good movie. Impossible and a waste of time."

"I loved _The Sixth Sense _and _Unbreakable_," Zuko replied curtly.

"Meh, I didn't. Anyway, carry on with your epic story." He reached behind the counter and snagged some of Sokka's hidden Cheetos.

Zuko sucked in a sharp breath and quickly let the words slip from his mouth. He told him about how they went to the party and he felt so cornered and alone, that he started to drink (the look on Iroh's face nearly made him crumble with guilt). And during the light haze cactus juice brought, he organized a plan to save the Cala Inn and her by paying for everything. And how he broke up with Mai only an hour ago.

He breathed heavily once he had finished and looked back up at them again. Iroh didn't look surprised, since he was well aware of Mai's evilness.

Hakoda appeared in shock, while Sokka's arms drooped down like noodles, his back hunched over, and his jaw dropped. They gaped at him with wide eyes (except for mellow Uncle Iroh), as if he had popped out of nowhere.

"So...where is she?" he asked, suspecting she was already asleep or perhaps having a sleepover at a friend's house.

"She left," someone piped in. Toph. She walked into the room, wearing her fancy clothing again, with a casual look on her face. "She left when summer ended. She went back to New York."

"_Damn_!" Zuko snapped, hitting his fist on the counter and resulting in his hand now in burning pain. "She's...back in New York."

"Yeah," Toph said, taking a seat on the couch and messing around with Sokka's GameBoy.

Zuko shook his head. She couldn't be gone, so far away from him. He needed to get back to her and tell her everything, everything he felt for her. He needed to make amends.

"I'm going," Zuko said. "I'll walk there if I have to, but I am going."

Everyone regarded him, except for Toph, with startled looks.

"All the way to the Big Apple?" Sokka grunted as he finally managed to free his sword and stuffed it back into his pocket. "Wait—" realization struck him. "—this Mai girl was going to shut down the Cala Inn and my sister's life? That is it! I'm going to go Sweeney Todd on her!"

"Quiet, Sokka," Hakoda said, rubbing his temples and closing his eyes, deep within thought.

Zuko looked away from him and started for the door again. He was going to get to Katara even if it was the last thing he did. It would be expensive for a last minute flight, but well worth it once he made it to her.

"Wait!" Iroh raced after him. "I'll take you on my private jet!"

"What?" Zuko looked at him in confusion. "You have a private jet?"

Grinning from ear to ear, Iroh lifted up his hands and said, "Hey, you don't get off being the brotha of a famomus CEO without some perks."

"And you would take me to New York? Right now?" Zuko further questioned, folding his arms and doubt in his amber eyes. He didn't think his uncle would actually do this, but it was possible. They stared at each other for moment, in complete silence. Finally, Uncle threw his neck back and laughed.

"Of course, nephew!" he said. "C'mon! I parked that baby in the backyard."

His uncle parked a private jet in the backyard? Wow his family was extremely weird...he was the only normal one, that was for sure.

"Your private jet is in the backyard?" Zuko asked, frowning. He followed his uncle to where he assumed it would be.

Hakoda nodded grimly. "Nearly scared off the ducks. Oh, punk—!"

Zuko turned, nodding.

"Hurt her again, I will kill you."

"Understood."

Outside, sure enough, there stood a sleek, snow white jet with the words "TEA CAN SAVE THE WORLD" written on the side. Inside was pretty nice; it looked like a mini-living room, even with a TV in the corner with a designer couch and video games splashed across the floor and a tea-maker on the table.

"Nice," Zuko said, furrowing his brow. "Uncle, where is the pilot?"

Iroh beamed. "I, your supa fly uncle, fly this baby. Now, where we headin' to again, my nephew?"

"New York City," he said, taking a seat. "Columbia University."

Although he appeared calm and mellow on the outside, he was freaking out on the inside, keeping his fingers cross under the table that they would somehow survive this.

"Three...two...one...," Iroh shouted in the cockpit and the jet vibrated. "...BLAST OFF!"

**{*}{*}{*}**

"Why are you smiling like that?" Katara said, peering over the book in her hands and staring suspiciously at Jin, who had that devious grin on her face whenever she had done something bad. "What did you do?"

"Oh, ye of little faith," Jin said dramatically, plopping down on the chair and threw her neck back. "I haven't done anything..._yet_."

Song was glaring at Jin with red and puffy eyes. The news about her father had hit her pretty hard, but she kept her pain inside, attempting to remain calm and supportive to her friends. If only she would let them return a favor.

They were sitting in Katara's room, where she had been peacefully alone (Yue was on a date with Hahn), when her girlfriends had intruded without warning.

Katara lowered the book—_The Ocean __Muse_—and placed it on the side table so that she could glare at Jin until she spoke up. Jin merely smirked back at her, as if to say "Bring it on!" and did her shoulder rolling thing before trailing into a random conversation about some chick she saw wearing a leopard skirt made out of actual leopard skin.

Katara didn't pay attention, since she had more...pressing matters to deal with. Like the book. She often found herself becoming lost within the story, picturing everything so clearly in her mind. Because it was _true_. He had written this as an apology to her, and she... well.

She wasn't sure what she was feeling. She loved him with every ounce of her being, and he had actually written a story to her as an apology. But could she trust him? He had said he would "probably" leave Mai, which meant perhaps he had feelings for her.

Or maybe he didn't. Maybe it went deeper than that. He seemed to have affection towards her, and she to him, but... she shook her head. No more buts. She had to make up her mind. She had to figure out whether or not to forgive him.

_He's the father, Katara! _part of her shouted angrily. _You cannot be with him. He will just betray you._

**Ignore her. He loves you. He does. Be with him.**

She brought her fingertips to the side of her head and rubbed her temples gently, closing her eyes and weighing her options carefully. She could vaguely hear Jin's rambles through her haze of thought.

"…then she was all, 'This isn't, like, actual leopard! It's, like, totally Gucci'—you're going to love us, Kit Kat." Jin abruptly interrupted her own story to beam deviously.

"Why is that?" Katara asked, regarding her.

"Duh!" Jin rolled her eyes, stood up, waved her hand, and said, "I and Song did something for you."

Song bit her lower lip and hid her face in her hands.

Holy crap. "What?"

"Guess!"

Katara wasn't in the mood for any of that. She wanted an answer, and she wanted it now. "Tell me."

"Guess."

"Dear gosh, please tell me you didn't sign me up for another contest, Jin."

"No! Ye of little faith!" Jin smirked, looking slightly hurt. Slightly. "No, we didn't do that."

"Oh, goodness gracious!" Song snapped, jerking her puffy gaze to her friend. "Just tell her, Jinny."

"We hacked into Mai Black's account!" Jin squealed in delight, jumping up and down. "We sent e-mails to every single person in her list and a few magazines!"

"What exactly did you say?" Katara asked nervously, biting her lower lip. Surely they wouldn't...? Was this...a joke?

"That Zuzu isn't the real daddy," Jin said casually, winking.

"But he is," Katara snapped, growing tired of Jin's petty attempts to get them back together.

"No he's not." Jin smirked. "Look, Kit Kat, I know I swore not to get involved with your business, but I just really needed to do that for you. Ty Lee—"

Katara glared at her, and she briefly fell silent. Ty Lee was the most obnoxious girl in the world, and attended some college in LA. She gossiped a lot, and it was so rarely the truth. Anyone who thought it was reliable was insane.

"Ty Lee said she heard through Azula, who heard from Chan, who was told by Ruan-Jon that Zuko wasn't the real father," she said, her voice now gentle.

"Wh-what?" Katara's eyes widened.

"Yes," Song said, parting her hair. "And, um...please don't tell anyone about the hacking part, please..."

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffhanger...<strong>

**I love cliffhangers! :D Okay, question of the day: What family would YOU rather be a part of, the Kalans or the Agni's/Masons? Me? Well, on one hand, the Kalans are loving and fun, while the Agni's/Masons have their own private jets! ^_^ Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this, and please reviews. Anyway, I hope you all have a ravishing weekend! TTFN!**


	31. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

**AnnaAza: ^_^ that man always has something up his sleeve. :) lol, maybe Zuko could have borred his uncle's segway to get to NYC...haha**

**black rose-raven angel: Sure! You can totally have both! :) ROTFLOL! Same here! He IS lucky! He has a private jet, segway, jetpack, his own rocketship (for decoration, not use), and a lemur. Ahhh, to be rich...(sighs dreamily). (cheering with you) O_O that is a very good question...}:}...Sokka would give you an example in the next chapter...mwahahahhahhha! (people scoot away)**

**love me: ^_^ Thanks! :D I just thought it would be SO AWESOME if he DID have a private jet, since I'VE always wanted a private jet. It is seriously romantic...the type of romance one would find in a movie. Not real life...sadly...:(... haha! She just doesn't want to be dubbed a creepy hacking stalker like in horror flicks. haha, the way she got her scar is carefully hidden in the story (actually, not that carefully...). :) But it might actually be worse than how Zuko got HIS. O_O Oh, I adore the minor characaters just as much as the main, and I would feel like a horrible person if I left them out of the action. :) Believe me, I have tried telling him, but he just says, "Rocky, have you ever been a guy before?" I shake my head. "Then you don't know what it's like being a romantic in a guy's world." And then he goes back to whatever he is doing. Believe me, she does. My biggest fear, though, is that they may, ahem, breed...O_O...little Barbie children...(shudders)... he stops to smile and wave? That is a VERY good sign! :D he sounds perfect...(my boyfriend glares at me)...lol! Maybe you should ask him out, he does seem interested. :) lol they are pretty weird, but weird is what makes a person AWWWEEESSSOOOME! I know, right? Sure she's tried to kill him a number of times, but they are still siblings! And it's not Azula's fault she was like that. Ursa neglected her, she was spoiled wrotten, and raised bad. She needs help, and someone to help her through it. (points at Zuko accusingly) and HE needs to be the one to do it. Thanks again! TTFN! X)**

**Wolfie2500: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ^_^ What's Family Guy? It is very romantic he's risking his life by flying with Iroh to get his true love back! If only men were like that in the real world...(sighs sadly)...**

**pieari1872: Yes, yes he is. He also knows how to handle a boat, drive a motorcycle, fly on a hang-glider, surf (more or less), scuba-dive, opera sing, sungi horn, and dance. :) It IS fun, and I speak from personal experience. OMG! Happy Birthday, pieari! I have a little surprise in my story for you! ^_^ Hopefully it's good... yummm, cookies...(Sokka leeps out of nowhere, snags cookies, runs) Oh no he didn't! (races after him with a baseball bat)**

**patty cake rocks: The Masons and the Agni's are the same people-it's just Sozin Mason changed his name to Agni. It was sincere. :) I'm glad you liked! :D**

**patty cake rocks: ^_^ Thanks so much, cake! XD I love Iroh too...he's just so crazy and radical!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Thirty-One<p>

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Zuko thought about his first rollercoaster ride in Disney Land.

He remembered be scared out of his wits as they stood in line, clinging to his mother's arm in fright. He listened in horror to the sounds of the screams, and questioned his very sanity for desiring to take the ride. It was too late to turn back; they were three people down. Azula was excited about it, but she pretended to be indifferent about it, claiming it was a child's ride.

This made Ozai tussle her pigtails, saying she was after his own heart. Zuko, however, could only put up a brave face and give of the appearance, instead of saying anything. He had been afraid that his voice would give way and reveal what he was truly feeling.

His mother, sensing his discomfort, took his hand and smiled warmly. And when they finally went in, he broke down in fright. He despised heights, and was petrified of what would go down in the darkness of what was called Space Mountain. He whispered his fears to his mother, who calmed him down and said she would never let him go.

And she didn't.

She held his hand throughout the entire experience, and from that day on…he never went on another rollercoaster…

…until now.

"Gaaaaah!" Zuko screamed, clawing at whatever he could reach for support. This made Space Mountain look like a Goofy ride.

His uncle was a good pilot and all, but he did things no one should ever do when in a hurry: constantly doing spins, twirling, bathroom breaks (due to the fact the bathroom on the jet was broken), and charging head-first toward the ground before turning back up with a hearty laugh and howling in triumph.

Zuko clutched tightly to his seat, screaming at the top of his lungs for his uncle to quit acting like a maniac and get his head in the game. But Iroh merely let out another laugh and said something about how life had to have a little bit of excitement.

Zuko understood that, being a writer and all, but under these circumstances not so much. He sealed his eyes shut, trying to block out the fact that any second they might die. "Gaaaaaah!" he shouted again, pitchy.

"Chiiiiilllll-aaaaaax!" Iroh called from the cockpit. "I believe I can fllllyyyyy!"

"Gaaaaaaaah!" he responded.

The hours of this were torture, and he could only find comfort in the thought that he was getting closer and closer to his love, and that soon he would confess everything to her. His feelings, his heart, and everything he has kept hidden in his soul.

His stomach gave an unpleasant churn when Iroh did another twirl, and he felt something yucky rising from his stomach to his mouth. Oh, holy crap muffins. "Hoooow muuuuch loooonger!" Zuko shouted, the plane shaking like crazy like a massage chair gone wild.

"I see the school now!" Iroh shouted in joy.

Zuko dared to open his eyes when he suspected the jet had stopped its insane spinning and looked out the window. The school was very fine. He blinked a couple of times, a smile creeping his face. At least she was in an amazing school; hanging with friends, possibly having fun with a boy—he froze.

He had not considered the fact she may have found someone new in her life, and that this whole mission was for nothing. But at least she would know his feelings, even if she rejected him. So be it. As long as she was happy, he would be happy. Below on the ground, he saw a large crowd of people.

"Here we gooooooooo!" Iroh hollered.

Without warning, the jet spiraled head-first down toward the ground, and Zuko unleashed a loud scream, the earth coming closer and closer. "Uuuuunnncccllleee!" he shouted.

His uncle abruptly lifted the jet up again, and it skidded across the land. He saw some college kids racing to get out of the way, some screaming for their mothers while others shouted something about the end of the world.

Zuko clung to his seat for dear life, his throat becoming quite sore from all the screaming he had done in the last many hours, and wished nothing more than for his uncle to stop the darn jet so he could get off. His stomach continued to churn as he fought back the vomit that craved to come out, but he held it back. There was no way he was going to throw up at the last moments of his life in that wretched plane. The jet stopped, and the cockpit door opened, Iroh stepping out with a broad grin.

"And _that_ is how you fly a jet," he said proudly, and then waved over at a group of students who had previously been discussing fanfiction before they noticed the disaster.

Zuko moaned in response, climbing out of his seat and crawling out of the airplane like a worm. Once outside, he tried to stand up, but his legs felt like jell-O. He glanced up at the people in front of them. One had a cake in her hands, the other holding gifts, and one glaring down at him with her arms crossed.

He cleared his throat, sitting up properly so that he could apologize for the inconvenience, but the moment his mouth opened, vomit flowed from him like a waterfall of food and beverages.

Everyone shouted "eeeew!" and backed away from him, some snapping pictures with a giggle and others just covering their noses. One of them even shouted, "Barbarian!"

He glanced up awkwardly at the girl who was glaring at him and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"Sorry?" she snorted. "You just puked on my shoes, and you say sorry?"

He shrugged, wiping his mouth and standing up. "Forgive me, Miss..."

"Ari," she replied stiffly, obviously ticked off.

"Miss Ari." He looked around him. "I'm just in a huge hurry—"

"Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuko Agggnnnniiiiii!" Iroh poked his head through the jet and said, "Mesa think they no happy we here."

"You think?" Zuko said, rolling his eyes.

"Wait a sec," Ari said, blinking. "You're...you're Zuko X Agni?"

He merely nodded, in no mood whatsoever to socialize with a fan since he wanted so much to get to _her_. But seeing as how he had puked on her nice shoes, it seemed like the right thing to do, socialize with her. "Yes, I am," he said.

She blinked again. "Omigosh, I love you!" she beamed. "Can I pleeeeaaase have your autograph? It's my B-day." She reached into her purse and pulled out a notebook with a kitty on it and a pen, her face turning a rosy pink.

"Sure thing." He smiled kindly. "Happy birthday, Ari," he said, handing it back to her and giving her a hug.

"Thanks," she breathed, glowing with delight.

"Now, if you will," he said, "might you tell me where a Miss Katara Kalan is..?"

**{*}{*}{*}**

Song shifted awkwardly in her seat, trying to hide her legs from view. But that was impossible, seeing as how she was wearing one of Jin's lime green jean-mini-skirt and short black leggings The scar on her right leg circled around like a snake, reaching up to the knee.

The scar had come, Katara knew, from a gangster mugging gone wrong. As the Monroe family had been walking through the streets, some gang members, later identified as Yon Rha and his associates, had mugged them.

They stole their jewelry and money, beat Mr. Monroe brutally, raped Mrs. Monroe before his eyes, and seemed to be having the same ideas about ten-year-old Song, but for some reason they changed their minds.

Perhaps this was due to the fact Yon Rha never killed children or inflicted (much) torture upon them. So he simply took a match and lit it on her skirt. And then they...slipped away like shadows.

This was the reason Song, Jin, and Katara were all friends; they were all linked together by a common enemy. Their friendship was as stronger that steel, and beyond that. It was unbreakable.

That is, until Katara and Jin went through their little feud, but now it was all healed and they were friends again. Thank goodness. And had returned to their girlish, fun loving deeds—thanks to Song, who had take them to StarBucks to get their resentment out of their system and clear things up.

"You look great, Song," Jin said, applying more mascara. Once that task was complete, she reached into her hand-quilted bag and pulled out her cell phone, her text-thumb hovering over the keyboard.

The teacher had yet to arrive, and until then, the students were going wild, throwing stuff, listening to their iPods, texting, and stuff like that—all the things they did even when a teacher was there.

"I don't," Song groaned, crossing her legs. "Why must I wear this again?"

Jin sighed, having heard his question twenty-seven times in the last hour. She snapped her phone shut and tucked it away. "Duh. All your other clothes is in the wash and all I had in your size was that skirt. Now take it like a woman."

Song huffed, adjusting her orange fishnet gloves accordingly, and then accepted the peace offering of Jin's eye shadow.

Katara giggled, fixing her own makeup.

Song rolled her hazel eyes toward the ceiling, fiddling with the reddish-brown braid that was draped over her shoulder. "Anymore makeup, Jin, and you may as well apply for Clown College."

"I resent that," Jin said, offended. "Well, at least my attire doesn't look like a bunch of paint tubes blew up all over me."

Song stuck out her tongue. Her attire was odd, though. Black leggings, lime green jean-mini-skirt, piano belt, orange fishnet gloves, black-n-yellow tank top, and a jean jacket. Strange, but fascinating.

"Leave her alone," Katara said, continuing her restless giggles and jabbed her foot at Jin's leg.

"You two seriously need to figure out the whole fashion thing," Jin scoffed, snapping her fingers. "Guys aren't interested in girl-next-door and girl-caught-in-a-paintball-war."

"Then what are they interested in, all knowing temptress?" Song asked, smirking.

She gestured toward herself; fashionably torn up skinny jeans, gladiator wedges, green halter top, and matching jacket. "Me."

"Will your ego ever cease?" Song sighed, shaking her head and causing her braid to swish like a cat's tail. "Life isn't about clothes, Jinny."

"True." Jin shrugged, studying her shoes casually. "But it helps to get noticed."

Katara looked up and saw that practically every boy (including Haru) were all staring at her in awe, like she was a goddess, their jaws dropped and gaping like a fish. She merely giggled and blew kisses Haru's way, following by a wink and crossed her legs.

Katara rolled her eyes, smirking. "She's full of herself, huh, Song?"

"Indeed she is," Song said, twirling her braid between her fingers. "Is my outfit over the top?"

"Not at all."

"People are staring at me," Song whispered, frowning. "Not that I care, of course."

"They seem interested."

"No, they're just disturbed." Song giggled.

Katara doubted that.

There were a few boys (those who were not staring at Jin) were checking her out. Teo especially. But not in the gross way, but in the sheepish way, like he was trying to find the best thing to say to her. How to flirt with her without freaking her out.

Katara had received these glances before, from a certain amber eyed fellow who she would rather not think about at the moment. Sure, she had considered calling him up, but she kept picturing Mai picking up the phone and chickened out. Even if Jin and Song were right, and the child was not Zuko's, but how would she handle the situation?

How would the public handle it? Did she really want to be in all that drama? Not really, but then she felt herself remember his touch, his kiss, his embrace...…she shook her head, reminding herself to remain in the present and that she could fantasize about Zuko _after_ class. But the moment she forced him out of her mind, a new thought crept up on her: butterfingers.

Her mouth watered and she imagined slowly unwrapping the chocolaty treat, seeing its delicious form before her, and then crunching into its peanut buttery goodness...

"Daydreaming about butterfingers again, Kit Kat?" Jin snickered.

Katara blushed. "No!" she snapped, though her voice betrayed her.

Jin smiled. "Ahh, Kit Kat, our chocoholic..."

"I am not!"

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh-"

"STOP!" Song glared at the both of them like a disappointed mother. "Honestly, you're acting like we're back in junior high."

Jin sighed dreamily, leaning back in her seat and stretching out her legs. "Ahhh, those were the good ole days. The days of acne and awkwardness..." she smirked. "Now look at us. We're the sexiest ladies in the universe."

"Amen!" Katara giggled, and high-fived her weird friend.

In the seat next to her, her roommate, Yue Delano, rolled her eyes. "Oh puh-leese," she sighed, rolling her misty blue eyes and parting her silver hair, which was assumed to have been dyed.

"You're just jealous you weren't sexy enough for Sokka Kalan," Jin said with an easygoing shrug.

Yue glared, but said nothing.

The teacher, Mr. Barkly, entered with a stiff look on his face. Like he had better things to do than teach a bunch of college delinquents. "Good morning," he said stiffly. "Let us begin, shall we?'

"Let the everlasting torture begin," Jin mumbled, opening her textbook.

Before he could say anything, the door opened wide and a figure stepped inside. Everyone gasped. Jin raised her eyebrows. Song squeaked. Katara's eyes widened.

"I'm looking for Katara," the young writer said, scanning the students carefully.

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffhanger...again. Gosh I love cliffhangers...well, as the writer I do. Not so much as the reader. O_o...lol, jk! So happy birthday, pieari! (throws confetti into the air)<strong>

**Brother: "She's lost it."**

**Other brother: "Never had it."**

**Me: ^_^ (giggles)**

**Brother: "I'm scared." O_O**

**lololololol**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and liked Iroh's amazing flying abilities. :) He's awesome. :)**

**Iroh: Thank you, Rock-Head!**

**Me: -_-**

**Review please-**

**Iroh: Why would these people waste their time on this piece of *beep***

**(silence)**

**Me: (pulls my dad's horror movie doll collection) Gotta go, guys. TTFN! ^_^**


	32. WiselyAndSlow TheyStumbleThatRunFast

**patty cake rocks: Isn't it? He is such a dreeeaaam boy! He's too busy listening to Hillary Duff in the cockpit to notice Zuko's screams. ^_^ :) Amber is actually Ursa's maiden name (joke since every Fire Nation person has amber eyes). :) Okay! I started reading you story, it's awesome! :D Great job, you are an excellent writer! XD**

**2-shadows: love love love love love YOU! OMG! Really? (giggles) 6 brothers is like trying to raise 6 toddlers hyped up on sugar, isn't it? Unless you were blessed with quiet brothers. :) If so, I envy you. ^_^ Jin is prett nuts, but then again we're all nuts in our own way. ^_^ Sorry about that...(hands candy-bar)...**

**love me: Truly romantic, is it not? ^_^ haha! I can see why too, since if people found out she would most likely wind up in jail. Nope, it's not something the average girl learns in her life. It is equal. With Zuko, he suffered the consequences of drunkness, but with Song...not only did she suffer pain on her leg, but she had to witness her parents suffer. And that, is the ultimate pain. It does look like a tattoo, which sort of helps, but she's still self-conscious about it. Same, I was pretty shy too in my kid years, and I still am... he seems like a very kind person, and you're very sweet, so no doubt he's head-over-heels in love! 6_6 Barbie children...is something that should NEVER happen. hahaha! Hopefully that will happen! But for now, he is his stubborn, male-ego self. (shifts computer so he won't see what I wrote) Families that are normal are all exactly the same-but weird families are weird in their own way! Example: My family handles matters by dueling with fome swords. It's not very mature, but it's fun. But not when the cat gets involved. O_O And when the hamster decides to battle! That little creature can be FIERCE! ^_^ I know Ursa didn't neglect Azula on purpose, but she should have at least paid her a little attention and affection. You have a point. Thanks, by the way. :)**

**SallyAcorn: I wouldn't say NO mistakes, but thank you sooo much all the same! ^_^ Thank you so much, Acorn! XD (beams) (does peace sign) Shaka! hang loose! (sorry, random surfer talk...O_O) Thanks soooo much again! **

**Enjoy, everyone! For I bring you an extra chapter for today!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Thirty-Two<p>

Wisely And Slow; They Stumble That Run Fast

Sokka was quite happy!

Katara had left him some cactus juice in the refrigerator and he was happily chugging them all down, feeling the delicious, sweet liquid dancing with his taste buds, causing his whole mouth to go into a frenzy and his brain go fuzzy.

Oh, sweet flying monkeys he loved that feeling... He plopped himself down on the couch lazily while watching something unknown on the TV screen. Everything was turning into a blur, but he didn't mind. He ADORED this feeling.

Speaking of adoring, he was really digging his brand new magical pants. Yes, his pants were magical and could hold anything in the pockets. Naturally he kept his sword with him at all times and it came quite in handy, like when he attempted to attack Zuko. Sadly, it did not go as well as he had wished it to. But, mark his words, he would get his chance.

"Yo, dope," a voice sneered.

He glanced up to see a brown blur in the doorway. "Who're you?" he narrowed his eyes, and felt anger boil in his veins. "JET?"

That perv nodded. "Yeh. I'm lookin' for the doll."

Angry, Sokka drew his sword and jumped onto the coffee table. "The doll is gone—but I'm about to pin a dummy!"

**{*}{*}{*}**

Zuko studied the stunned faces of the students; all of them still trying to process the fact a famous writer had just abruptly entered their class. It was a lot to take in. He saw that Jin's expression turned from startled to amusement, raising her eyebrows at him and a smile spreading across her face as if to say _nice seeing you again. _He offered her a smile back, and then his eyes fell upon her, the picture of beauty he cherished more than life itself.

She wore a purple shirt with Snoopy from _Charlie Brown _on it, followed by its little yellow companion. Her jeans were faded, her green converse sneakers torn, and her chocolaty laired tresses tumbling down her back, pulled back by a green headband.

She seemed hesitant to look his way, keeping her gaze on her folded hands before looking up, their eyes locking. He smiled at her, and she shyly returned it. He would have loved to stare at her face forever. Her expression reminded him of a small mouse cornered by a hungry cat—the same look she had possessed upon first meeting at the movie premiere.

"I beg your pardon, sir!" the teacher said, narrowing his skeptical eyes. "But you are intruding in my class!"

"Indeed I am," he said casually. "Beg pardon, Mr. Barkly, but I must speak with Katara Lillian Kalan."

Everyone in the classroom murmured, exchanging looks and brief glances at the girl he spoke of, causing her mocha cheeks to become a rosy shade that made him gawk for goodness knows how long, eyes wide. When he remembered he was in the presence of staring college students, he shook his head and regained himself.

He blinked a couple of times, and then smiled. "Might I take Ms. Kalan out of the class for a mere moment?"

Mr. Barkly's fat face turned purple and he glared fiercely, like this young writer was wasting his precious time, that he just wanted to teach these juvenile delinquents and be done with it so he could go cry in the bathroom or whatever. "Who in Gandalf's name are you? Who do you think you are?"

Zuko, clearing his throat, said, "My name is Zuko Xavier Agni—though I would rather you call me Zuko Andrew Mason—and I am here to apologize for a grave mistake."

Jin beamed, smiling broadly at Katara and Song did the same, though Song's look was more like a warning.

"You wish to..._apologize_?" Mr. Barkly snapped, spitting the last word.

"Indeed."

"Then, by all means, do it here!" he snapped, taking a seat on his desk.

Zuko frowned, glancing uneasily around the students who were leaning forward eagerly, some even pulling out their phones. He kept a straight face, wishing to not provoke the teacher, afraid if he did it would cause him to be kicked out of the school like he was kicked out of the Cala Inn. He offered a kind smile again. "I'd rather not—"

"Listen, punk," Mr. Barkly said, jabbing a chubby finger his way. "I do not care about you being some famous writer-ya hear me? I DO NOT CARE."

Zuko looked down at the desk where a drawer was open, revealing CD's by Kelly Clarkson. "Kelly Clarkson is outside with her private jet," he lied, speaking in a casual tone.

At once, Mr. Barkly darted out at once, his belly jiggling like jell-O. Zuko chuckled at his lie, impressed that the teacher had been so thick to actually believe it. Hopefully his uncle would play along and not blab out that Kelly wasn't really there.

He turned back to Katara, nodding his head toward the door. "Might I have a word?"

She seemed to consider this, looking over at her friends with over a hundred questions in her eyes. Judging by their expressions, it seemed their answers were entirely different.

Song obviously wanted her to stay, since she didn't quite yet trust Zuko, yet Jin was nodding enthusiastically. Katara glanced back and forth, nibbling on her lower lip. The whole room fell silent, no body moved, and even a fly that had been buzzing stopped dead. It was like Medusa had entered the room and turned them all to stone.

He waited as patiently as he could, watching her with puppy-dog eyes. He wanted more than anything to speak to her, but if she wanted him to leave, he would depart. Of course he was going to walk this time; he was so not going to go back on Uncle's jet again.

He would never, ever get over that. It would haunt him for the rest of his life.

He gulped, his Adam's apple blobbing. Finally, the girls seemed to have closed the discussion, and Song looked slightly agitated, with a hint of worry, while Jin appeared proud.

Katara stood, nodded once, and walked into the empty hall.

Zuko followed, noticing her dark blush, folded arms, and refusal to meet his gaze. Perhaps this was due to awkwardness, since she may have or not seen the video about him being the "father". He gulped hard, summoning every ounce of his courage and smiled crookedly.

"I've come here to apologize," he said, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"For what?" she asked coolly, keeping her gaze away from him still.

He took in a shaky breath. "For hurting you, I never meant it," he said, his heart pounding hard in his chest and he felt it would burst. "I hurt you, and it has haunted me ever since, never ending. Every day I think about you, every day I regret my words—"

"It's not your words that hurt me, more like your actions," she said with a sigh, closing her eyes.

"My actions...?" he stared at her in confusion, and it struck him hard. "Mai? The child isn't mine, Katara! I'm not with her. I hate her."

She didn't respond.

"Did you see that video?" he asked, his tongue feeling much too large for his mouth.

"Yeah," she said, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"You know it's not true, right?"

"How can I be so sure?"

"Have you seen the news lately?"

She shook her head.

"I broke up with her. It's over."

She sighed heavily, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Please," he breathed, touching her shoulder. "I left her because I realized you were right. I couldn't let her take over my life like a puppet. I broke free."

"You said you were here to apologize," she said, slowly turning to look at him, her expression unreadable. "But why come all the way from California to New York? Why not call?"

His smile turned sheepish. "Because I love you."

It had been an eternity since he had said these words, and meant them. Just saying it made him feel dizzy and lightheaded, and he felt overwhelming emotions crash over him without mercy, not that he minded, of course. He loved that feeling. He waited for her response, petrified that she would reject him, that she would laugh in his face and turn away.

That she would claim to be in love with someone else, and that thought wiped away everything pleasant within him. The feeling felt like acid in the pit of his stomach, and spread through his entire body. She finally looked at him, and a smile spread across her face.

"I know," she said.

"What? You _know_?" he was seriously confused now.

"I know you broke up with her, I know the child is not yours," she said, edging closer to him. "I know you love me."

He blinked, processing this information in his mind. Okay, she knew... "And you let me continue to babble on?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

She smiled devilishly. "Yes, yes I did," she said. "I just needed to hear it from you, Romeo." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I also know about your story. I thought it was very sweet."

He felt his jaw drop.

"For never was a story of more woe  
>than this of Katara and her Zuko," she quoted from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". She smiled warmly.<p>

He smirked. "What light, come through thy window break. It is the east, and Katara is the sun," he said in an exaggerated English accent.

She rolled her sapphire eyes, obviously finding this silly, but played along nonetheless. "Oh, he doth teach the torches to burn bright," she said, and he recalled telling her about his Firebending idea.

"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I never saw true beauty till this moment," he countered, fully intent on winning this game.

"Zuko is banished, there is no end, no limit, measure, bound, In that word's death. No words can that woe sound," she said with a smirk.

"Quite cheerful, Katara," he replied in the same sassy tone. "Tempt not a desperate man."

"Then don't tempt me," she countered like a swordsman.

"Hmm, but I'm just so tempting," he said, smiling broadly, utterly pleased he had been forgiven and felt such relief. "Might I kiss you?" he asked as she neared quite close to him.

"Now that depends," she whispered, their lips only an inch from each other. "Whether or not you'll pull away this time...or Jin may interrupt us..."

"I can assure you, I won't pull away," he promised, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other hand lacing itself in her lush tresses. "As for Jin...I can't make any promises..."

She only moaned in response, leaning in and pressing her delicate lips against his, creating the friction of ice and fire, opposites creating sparks of illuminating passion that glowed in the darkness of the cave of loneliness. Her arms went around his neck, and they entangled themselves in each others' embraces.

It felt as if their lips had been made for each other, moving together as if in a dance. No words could describe...how blissful this was... He all but ignored the giggles emerging from the class, and the clicks and flashes of cameras. He cared not; all that mattered was that they were together again.

Footsteps were heard and then a loud roar of triumphant laughter and a rumble of giggles. The two broke a part to see Iroh and Jin standing there, proud looks on their faces.

"Ahhhhh," Jin cooed cheerfully. "Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast."

Iroh cleared his throat, becoming serious, and flung his arms into the air dramatically. "A plague o' both your houses!"

Jin frowned. "Umm, what does that have to do with the situation, Iroh?"

Uncle frowned. "That's the only Romeo and Juliet quote I know. Well, that and: To be, or not to be! That is the question!"

"That's Hamlet," Jin sighed heavily, rolling her spring green eyes.

Song poked her head through the classroom door and smiled apologetically at the couple. "A greater power than we can contradict hath thwarted our intents." A wink followed.

Iroh rolled his own amber eyes and smiled at his nephew. "Ahhhh, she is a true beauty, my nephew. Though not quite as lovely as my late wife." He rubbed his hands together.

Zuko wrapped an arm around her waist. "One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun never saw her match since first the world begun," he said, smiling down upon her with everlasting love.

"Zuko?" she whispered, her smile turning playful.

"Hmm?"

"Your mouth tastes like vomit."

* * *

><p><strong>Zuko Andrew Mason is truly a romantic! Is there anymore more romantic than the love of your life quoting Shakespeare to you...(sighs dreamily)...question of the day: how would you want your true love to confess his feelings toward you? Me? Come right out and say it. I know that's not very romantic, but I like getting to the point (rolls eyes and giggles). BTW, the story isn't entirely finished yet-there are two or three more chapters leftf in me, and a special surprise at the end...;) TTFN! Astla la vista! Aloha! Arrivercci!<strong>


	33. Under The Bridge

**Zutarian18: ! X) I totally understand, and don't worry about! :D Yes, while on a quest to retrieve his true love he is forced to ride on his uncle's private jet while he flies it...ruins the whole romantic moment. O_o...it would be fun! As long as Sokka wasn't the co-pilot...and cactus juice wasn't involved...ahhh, Zuko's crowning moment...XD...haha! I think she'll probably keep those shoes locked up in a glass case, or...sell them on ebay...O_O... actually, I intended on putting in a part where she stops kissing him to comment about his breath, but I totally forgot! (slaps forehead) Ooooooh, sounds romantic! ^_^ TTFN! (peace out sign)**

**back rose-raven angel: ^_^ *hugs back* No, thank YOU for asking me that question about Sokka the sword and someone he doesn't like! ROTFLOL! XD**

**black rose-raven angel: Will do! :) I don't know...perhaps build a shrine or...something. O_O... haha! I actually got the idea of Kit Kat having a fondness towards butterfingers while eating some myself. ^_^ _Someday, my writer will come! _Sorry, that was seriously random and weird...and just plain awkward for everyone reading this right now...(backs away)...ooohkkaaaay...TTFN!**

**Iceblossom22: HAHAHAHA! Thank you sooo much, blossom! ^_^ I'm a cliffhanger girl...;)...(laughs)...forgive me. X) TTFN-TATA FOR NOW!**

**Iceblossom22: :D yes it did...but he finally did it! (pats Zuko on the back) Thanks much! ^_^**

**pieari1872: I think it's possible...let me check...(smiles a Joo Deen smile, head falls off), yep, it's possible! ^_^ Awwwww, thanks so much! I'm glad your birthday turned out great! (throws balloons into the air) :D Yes! He finally did! Haha, Jin and Iroh...the biggest Zutara fans in the world. (gets shoved out of the way) Jin and Iroh: "ZUTARA 4 EVAAAA!" (shoves them out of the way) sorry about that...O_O... Avatar poster? 2 COOL! XD**

**WildAtHeartz: Haha! (hands tissue) OMIMONKEY! Thank you so much, Heartz. :) :) :) :) Throw a lamp? Then I shall make certain a happy ending is required (hastens to change script, wide eyes) lol! JK! :{ X) cUtE! A lot of guys who like you? You're Italian...you like to giggle...WHOA! You're like a modern day version of JIN. ^_^ Fear not, I shall update as soon as humanly possible! :D**

**Shadows of Snowfire: AMEN! omimonkey, thank you so much, Snowfire...(blushes, beams)**

**love me: ^_^ That's our Jin! X) Jin: "Should I be offended by that comment?" I'm sure she will, most likely during her wedding or something along the lines. ;) (wink, wink, hint, hint). Indeed I was...I think Teo and Song are characters that really didn't get much of a chance in the spotlight like they should have. Also they look adorable together. XD It was hard for her, but at least she was spared serious pain. I would like to have Zuko's scar, it could give me that emo-mystery look. I could go up to some random person and say, "Have I ever told you how I got this scar?" (jest toward the Joker-RIP Heath Ledger). Haha, the evil side of Sokka we never got to see, the side hidden within the darkness of his very soul! (dramatic music, people turn to stare) There actually IS a way we could change the past-(glances around)-we could kidnap Mike and Bryan and force them into rewriting the last season so that we could have A: Zutara. B: Zuzu and Azzie's sibling relationship heal. C: Ursa returns and helps her daughter. Something along those lines. C: lol, I know exactly what you mean. I would SO love to go back in time and change some mistake. Example: I would go back and tell my younger self to NOT play a prank on my brother in front of his now fiancee. It resulted in gum in my hair. O_O He sounds like he have affections towards you and I sense a romance unfolding. You guys wrestle? My mom says wrestling is too "violent", and yet she lets us duel with foam swords over who should have the last of the peanut butter...O_o... omimonkey, that would be sooo romantic! In the rain? Nice touch! I can see it happening while sad/romantic music plays in the background...(sighs dreamily) so romantic... Nothin' wrong with being a hopeless romantic! XD ROMANTICS ROCK! TTFN, LOVE ME!**

**patty cake rocks: Oh, of course, you can! :) Be my guest! ^_^**

**SallyAcorn: Hulllloooooooooo, Acorn! :) Yupsery (as my mom puts it), two updates, since I was forcefully taken away from my computer for a few days. It was torture. O_O You're not boring! You're AWESOME! ;) ahola!**

**Light1172: Heeeeeeeeey! :) Awwwww, thank you sooo much, Light! That's quite alright. ^_^ haha! Zuko may be good at writing stuff like that, but when it comes to SAYING it...(shakes head, smiling)...whoa you get to meet...? Whoa... that is awesome. :) Awwww, he sounds adorable! ^_^ lol X) A wedding, huh? (considers, evil grin, rubs hands together) }:}**

**patty cake rocks: Thanks, rocks! ^_^ I'm all about the corn! (nice word, by the way :) haha! Music is my LIFE! :) I'm, more or less, a fan of her, but it's really my brother who likes her. I thought it would be romantic if they had a "R&J" quote battle. ^_^ You're welcome! Your story is really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really good! :)**

**OMIMONKEY! I am soooooooooooooooooooo sorry for the long wait! :( My mom grounded me from the computer because I stayed up late before while watching a marathon of V season 2. -_-...anyway, I'm back! And I hope you enjoy this chapter! I will see you at the end! tata!**

**Okay, so if you've read this before I changed it up, you'll notice that the thing I wrote about what happened to all the characters is gone. Why? Well, spoilers mostly. I decided to change the few details up, and will revealed later in the future. :)**

* * *

><p>Chapter Thirty-Three<p>

Under The Bridge

"You know, on most anniversaries the guy normally takes the girl to an Italian _restaurant_, not actually Italy," Katara was saying as they waited for their luggage. Her arms were folded firmly over her chest, and her lips were set in a thin line.

They stood in the baggage claim of a large and overly populated airport. People were shouting and leaping about in hysterics, as if the building were on fire. Most barely regarded the famous writer and his girlfriend, but a fair few had been staring so long that it was starting to get uncomfortable. Even after a year, Katara couldn't get over it.

She supposed that after years of going unnoticed, that the sudden heavy amounts of attention would never catch on.

She lifted her eyes to meet her boyfriend's, and watched as he considered her words carefully, indifferent to the stares they were receiving. Having been born into the life of fame, creepy stares were just an everyday occurrences, regardless as to how frightening.

Zuko shrugged. "True," he said, smirking. "But why have American food passed off as Italian when you can come here to Italy and experience the real deal?"

She sighed irritably. "If you want Italian so badly just call up Jin," she said. "She _is_ Italian, after all."

"And sensitive about food," he said. "Haru told me that his chicken needed salt and she started shouting about how more salt would ruin the taste and how he was a whining baby."

"That's our Jin," Katara sighed.

She felt her lips twitch when she thought about her friend. Jin had left Columbia and was currently residing in Denver, Colorado with, where she was studying drama. She still kept in touch, though, sending constant text messages and calls. In fact, when Katara had told her they were going to Italy, Jin had gone crazy with naming cafes they should visit, and certain places. In a way, she was more invested in the trip that Katara was.

"You know I love you to death, but honestly. Italy?" A few Italians turned to glare at her, but she ignored them.

He frowned. "My dear, Kit Kat"—he had soon adapted to her famous nickname—"what have you got against Italy? Give me one good excuse and I swear, I'll fly you back to California and we can have our special anniversary at iHop. If you wish. But you've been my girlfriend for a whole year, so you deserve this. I mean, you've put up with me this long."

Katara racked her brain, searching for any good answer as to why she did not want to be in Italy. He had caught her, yet she still struggled. Italy was exotic and beautiful, and truthfully she had nothing against it, except for one thing. Biting her lower lip, she glanced to the side and thought hard, forcing her mind to work double time in order to seek out a response.

She was not used to such luxurious trips—and for a mere one year anniversary! It was a big deal, she supposed, but surely not to these levels. She thought about her parents, and how they had spent their one year anniversary together. When asked, Kya had pulled out a picture from her wallet and handed it to her daughter.

It showed Hakoda and her sitting in a small café in their home town, aprons around their waists and nametags pinned to their shirts. They had spent that special day working. Katara had never understood that. But then her mother said that Hakoda had given her a single lily, and said he loved her. It was more than enough on her standards. _"It's not about how big the day is. Rather how you spend it."_

His smug smile was plastered on his face and she scowled. Like their Shakespeare quoting battles, he fully intended on winning the discussion. He chuckled when she gave no response.

"And then it started like a guilty thing upon a fearful summons," he said, quoting Hamlet. She had to admire his strange fascination with the poet.

"'Tis a fault to Heaven, a fault against the dead, a fault to nature, to reason most absurd," she countered, thankful for all those years of her parents forcing her to read his stories during her childhood.

"Lovely," he said, smiling and kissing the top of her head.

"Indeed," she sighed, a smirk mounting her face.

He laughed lightly. "You have yet to answer my question."

She huffed throwing her neck back and allowing her hair to tumble down her back like a waterfall of chocolate. He wrapped an arm around her waist and stared down at her with puppy-dog eyes, pleading her to explain her restraint.

She pulled away, incredibly agitated by his refusal to leave and have a much simpler anniversary. "What did your parents do for their first anniversary, Zuko?" she asked, trying a different route.

"He took her to Paris for the weekend."

_This explains it_. "My parents spent theirs at work in a café. See the difference?"

He stared at her for a moment, silently contemplating what she had said. He nodded, and she went on.

"A simple dinner would have sufficed. Or even a walk on the beach. I'm not worth all the trouble."

"Do you even know who you are?" he asked, ignoring the fact his suitcase was coming around. "You are worth every penny. You are worth my life. And the only trouble was convincing my uncle not to personally fly us here."

Katara permitted a giggle to escape her lips. Oh, how she remembered that day so clearly. How they had shared the best (though possibly the grossest) kiss in her life. And all the crap he went through to get to her. From what she had heard, it sounded psychotic. But some part of her wanted to experience firsthand exactly what Iroh's piloting was like.

"So we're staying." It was a statement, not a question.

"Sorry, love," he smirked, leaning over and plucking their suitcases up. "Shall we?"

"Ugh, fine," she groaned, blushing when she noticed some people whispering and looking their way. She walked along beside him, idly fiddling with strands of her hair that had come undone from her braid. "Where did you say our hotel was again?"

"I didn't," he said, "and I don't intend to."

"Another surprise?" she sighed.

"Naturally."

**{*}{*}{*}**

_I've got a bad feeling about this, _Katara thought suspiciously when they came to a train station. "Where are we going?"

He didn't answer, his smile as secret as the Mona Lisa. Katara narrowed her eyes into slits at him, running through her head in search where they might be heading. Another reason she didn't like the idea of this trip was because of natural reflex.

A while ago, money was tight. Her family was unable to spend it on pleasantries such as long-distant travel. In fact, if she remembered correctly, the farthest they had ever gone was to Salem. But that was just to attend her uncle's funeral. Granted, she did do a fair amount of traveling back and forth between California and New York, but it wasn't for the means of relaxation. It was for family contact and college.

It was different with Zuko; he was rich and famous his entire life, (not that she cared much about that) and could pay to go anywhere he wanted. He had been presented these luxuries since birth, so he didn't understand just how strange she found his ideas of anniversaries to be.

Two entirely different backgrounds…two entirely different ideas on where to go for a one year anniversary...

"Ladies first," Zuko offered, standing aside so she could mount the train first.

After finding their seat, she glanced out the window and watched as trains came and went. Her suspicions rose when his phone rang and he answered in Italian. She cursed herself for not taking her mother up on her offer to teach her Italian. She could interpret a few of the words, since she was fluent in Latin, but he was talking so fast all she could make out was "yes", "no", "very well", and "goodbye".

Where the _heck _was he taking her? "

"If you tell me, I'll still act surprised," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

He chuckled. "You're cute when you pout."

"So you'll tell me?"

"No."

"Dang," she sighed. "Well, could you give me a hint?"

"Now where is the fun in that, love?"

She frowned, eyes fluttering indigently. "You're not helping, Zuzu."

"I didn't intend on it to be."

Groaning, Katara moved her head off his shoulder and leaned against the window. She was started to get agitated by his refusal to confess exactly where they were going. She had never been into surprises, even as a child. Heck, for her thirteenth birthday, Hakoda threw a surprise party at the Cala Inn, and she was more annoyed than she was pleased. She hid it, of course, but she would've liked a heads up since she had to reschedule her studying.

The train started to jolt to life—

Suddenly, something fell over her eyes, and by instinct, she pulled away and pinched the hands that did it. "What are you doing?" she asked slowly, cautiously. She eyed the object in his hand as though it were a bomb.

He scoffed. "I want you to be surprised when we get there, now can you please put these on." He lifted up a pair of glossy black glasses.

She was fully intent on telling him no, since he was refusing to cooperate with her, but upon seeing that adorable smile she found herself, without realizing, reaching for them. She tried to tell herself they were more or less stylish—okay, less—and that he wouldn't look that strange.

At once, everything went black, and the only way she could see if she looked at it from the corner of her eye. He must've painted the lenses black so she would be blind on this little trip of his. She admired him for thinking head, but she couldn't help but feel slightly ticked off.

Even without sight, she knew he had a smug look on his face, and this was confirmed when he chuckled.

A small growl ripped through her throat. "I look weird."

"You look great," he assured her, pulling a strand of hair out of her eyes.

Behind them, a child laughed and pointed at her.

"Oh really?" Katara glared, though it had little effect seeing as how no one could see her eyes.

"Really."

She sighed, braiding a strand of hair that had slipped from her loose fish-braid. The glasses felt itchy against her skin, and she couldn't help but resent him for making her go through wearing men's glasses that had been painted entirely black like 3D glasses. The itching was starting to get annoying, and she hoped that she was allergic to the paint or something so she could take them off.

"Just give me one hint, Zuko," she said.

Leaning forward, he pecked her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Where is the fun in that?" His hot breath tickled her sensitive flesh.

"If you don't tell me I'll just ask someone behind us or something."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek again, chuckling in amusement. Like she was a child suggesting she could rule the world by building an army of toys.

"I don't think so." He nuzzled her cheek affectionately.

She snorted, pulling away from him to scowl, which was plain to see even with those absurdly large glasses on, and he laughed. A few people turned to look over, and upon noticing those glasses, started laughing also. But some people had the decency to place their hands over their mouth and try to hide it, but others just started laughing and taking pictures on their iPhones and cell phones.

The train gave a jolt. A growl emerged from her throat, and the few people who noticed fell silent, except for darling Zuzu. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, the smugness glowing off his face, childlike mischief glinting in those golden eyes of his that made her heart melt. But this time, it just made it cold.

"That's it! I'm sooooo not wearing this!" she reached up to pull it off her face but Zuko grabbed her wrists gently.

"Temper, temper," he said, wagging his finger at her.

"Grrrrrr," she responded.

"I swear, it will be worth it, love."

"Nothing is worth it in these glasses," she said, folding her arms and slouching in her seat.

"Hey," he said, furrowing his brow.

"What?"

"I love you."

"I'll love you when you get these glasses off of me."

He rolled his eyes, all traces of romance lost in his eyes and replaced with a smirk. He chuckled, but said nothing in response.

Second by second, she was getting more and more agitated about what was the big deal about these stupid glasses, and could only cheer herself up by the thought that when they actually do get there she could crush it behind his back before he noticed. Finally, the train came to a stop and he took her hand.

"Now can I take it off, Zuko?" she asked.

"Patience is a virtue, love."

They got their luggage together and made their way off (though Katara wound up bumping into some people and her knee banging hard against an unknown object). They stepped into the sunlight and she caught a whiff of something quite pleasant, and felt a gentle breeze caress her face and lift up her hair, as if dancing with it. She smiled. Okay, liking it so far—but where exactly was _it_?

"Can I take this off now?"

"Y—"

She didn't let him finish, deeming that enough of an answer, and whipped of the pathetic excuse for glasses off of her face and blinked when the newfound rays of sunlight beamed against her, but when she did regain herself, she nearly collapsed. She should have known this would be his choice—that this would be the ideal place where he would take her for their one-year anniversary.

She gulped hard; feeling incredibly lightheaded as she looked upon a place her mother had once promised to take her, a place she had heartily desired to go but never got the chance. She gave a long look, eyes wide, as she stared at the beautiful Venice.

A smile spread across her face, and all negative thoughts about coming to Italy just vanished. _Venice_. Holy crap, she thought and felt him squeeze her hand, and out of instinct she returned it.

"Happy?"

"Very!" she got on her toes and pecked his cheek. "Why didn't you tell me it was _Venice_?"

He raised his eyebrow. "I thought...well, the way you acted when I told you about Italy..."

She blushed, finally hitting her that she had acted sort of bratty. To her defense, this was very unfamiliar territory. But she should've tried to see things from his side. "I'm sorry about that," she said sheepishly. "But this is Venice..."

She closed her eyes and took in the sweet smelling air...and she thought about her mother's promise all those years ago.

**{*}{*}{*}**

_When she saw five years old, there was a freak storm and was unable to go outside and play, so she sought out any source of entertainment in her house, since her brother refused to play dolls with her. And her parents were busy making arrangements for the Inn, so she was alone. She had grown tired of her toys and all of her books, since she had little interest in reading at that young age. _

_So she decided upon checking out her parents' reading material by inspecting their bookcase. History, romance, drama, joy, and sadness filled the pages of the number of books that she snatched up and flipped through, but she paid them no mind. Not many pictures—some didn't even haveany. She nearly gave up on that idea when she came across a book in Italian, and thought the words were just gibberish, but very pretty gibberish. _

_Carefully designed pictures filled the pages, pictures of weird banana shaped boats floating along water that snaked through a city, men dressed in striped shirts. A bridge, a beautiful church, a cafe… It was all incredibly lovely, and as she brushed her tiny fingers against the rough paper and smiled._

_"What are you doing, sweetie?"_

_She turned and saw her mother standing there, wearing a long China blue kimono with forget-me-not patterns. Her hair tumbled down her back like a waterfall of chocolate, and her soft blue eyes were full of curiosity. She stepped over and sat down by her daughter. "Are you reading Italian?"_

_Katara looked back down at the words and frowned. "No, just looking at the pictures. They're pretty."_

_"Yes," Kya said, smiling. "Venice is very pretty."_

_"Where's Venice?" Katara asked curiously._

_"Italy."_

_"Where's Italy?"_

_"Europe."_

_"Oh. And where's Europe?"_

_Kya laughed lightly, and kissed the top of her daughter's head. She gently stroked her hair and started to braid it; it was a habit, since she loved messing with her daughter's hair._

_"Have you ever been to Venice, Mommy?" Katara studied the gentle water in the picture._

_"No," Kya said, shaking her head. "But I did go to Italy once—for the surf."_

_Katara nodded, already well aware of her mother's surfing past, having seen some videos and pictures. "Is Venice pretty?"_

_"A friend of mine thought so."_

_"Will you take me there one day?"_

_Kya was taken back, raising her eyebrows and stared for a full minute before a small smile twitched at her lips and she laughed quietly. "One day," she said._

**{*}{*}{*}**

_Here I am, Mom_, Katara thought, briefly glancing up at the sky. _I wish you were here to experience this with me._

"Ciao, signore. Gocce di cioccolato alla menta e gelato alla vaniglia, per favore. Separati. Grazie." Zuko smiled at the man working behind the counter.

They were at an ice cream café, since Italy had the best ice cream known to mankind. Also they were hungry from the long flight and train ride. A few people there turned over to look at them, whispering in Italian and English, saying something about Zuko X. Agni (no one had caught on to his real name) and his inspiration. One person even held a book that read: _The Ocean Muse, by Zuko A. Mason, _and were looking at them with a weird look on her face.

"Where are we staying?" she asked when he handed her the mint chocolate chip. She attempted to avoid eye contact with those who stared, pretending that she didn't notice them.

"Savoia & Jolanda Hotel Venice," he answered with a smile.

"A four-star hotel?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, well..." he thought quickly."It was my uncle's idea. Don't kill me."

"Not yet." She winked at him, and took his hand in hers.

**{*}{*}{*}**

After dropping their stuff off at the hotel (while lovely, it paled in comparison to the Cala Inn), they went for a walk together down the beautiful streets of Venice. She ignored the stares they were receiving from the passing bystanders. A lot had happened in that amazing year they had shared as an official couple, and it seemed like everything had took an amazing turn on her life.

Granted, their relationship had its ups and downs, but things were always fixed in the end. But anyway, the city was breathtaking, and she often found herself standing frozen as she stared in awe at the fine craftsman ship of the buildings, the slender bridge, and the large church her mother had told her so much about. It was like stepping into a whole new world, a safe haven, a peaceful place. And to top it off, Zuko was taking her on a gondola ride.

It was incredibly romantic...and for a brief second, an image of a jealous Jin flashed through her mind. She giggled at the thought, ignoring his questioning gaze and admired the beauty of it all. Granted, there was some spray-paint on the walls of curses spelled wrong and weird pictures, but other than that...

The water was slightly murky, and she couldn't help but remember that cheesy movie her dad made her watch on family night: _Sharks in Venice. _It wasn't scary in the slightest—in fact, it looked a rip off of jaws. Come to think of it, maybe they used the same shark... But that didn't matter at the moment.

What mattered was that she was there, in Venice, on a gondola, with him. They snaked their way through the city—snapping pictures, videotaping, and the occasional peck—and a well known bridge came into view. She grinned broadly.

"The Bridge of Sighs," she said, awestruck. "They say that if you kiss under it you will have a life long relationship-or that's what my mom said. Ironic, though, since that's where prisoners would cross and see their last glimpse of Venice before their trial was held. So, basically, it should be bad luck...," she babbled, not even realizing it.

She peered over her shoulder and saw some people staring down at them curiously. Most people saved their whole life to see this bridge, and perhaps they wished to witness a kiss, since it was sort of part of the deal. She started blushing again, and glanced away.

"Katara."

"Yeah." She regarded him, and her eyes widened at what he held in his hand.

As the bridge's shadow fell over them, he asked softly, "Will you marry me?"

She froze, and time seemed to stop-or perhaps it was all in her head. She gaped at him like a fish, unblinking. Did he...just pop the question? It struck her like a train and she nearly jolted out of her seat and into the murky water. He did! He did!

Whenever she had pictured the day a man would propose to her, this was nothing like she had imagined. She always thought it would be a simple thing—perhaps in StarBucks or something along those lines. Her heart twisted when she finally realized why he was so hell-bent on getting her to Venice. So he could make this once-in-a-lifetime moment one to remember.

And so she would.

Even when she was old and grey.

A smile spread across her face, and she replied in the same tone as him, despite her pure excitement that felt so overwhelming she feared she'd explode. "Yes."

She leaned over and kissed him tenderly, as if it were their first kiss. The people who watched spotted the ring and applauded, someone shouting in either Italian or Spanish—she couldn't tell. Because right now, she couldn't worry about such things. Because now...

...because now she felt as free as ever, feeling lighter than air and had to wrap her arms around his neck in order to remain on the ground. She smiled up at him, and he returned it. "Yes," she repeated, before leaning in to kiss him again.

* * *

><p><strong>Hi again!<strong>

**I am incredibly cheesy. Am I not?**

**I had Zuzu pay for them to go to Venice for their BF/GF aniversery just to ask for her hand in marriage... while under the Bridge of Sighs. Holy crap I am cheesy. But, I enjoyed writing it. And how about Sokka's proposal! Wasn't THAT romantic! ^_^ Okay, question of the day: how would YOU want a guy to propose to you? Me? (blushes) along the lines of what Zuko did for Katara...or perhaps on top of the Eiffle Tower!**

**Zuko: Keep dreaming, Raquel.**

**Me: -_-**

**Zuko: ^_^**

**Me: :P**

**Haru: :{**

**Katara: STOP IT!**

**Me: FINE!**

**Okay, anyway, hope you liiiiked, and sorry again for the long wait...:(**


	34. More Or Less

**Embers in the flames: Thank you so much! And you're welcome! :)**

**SallyAcorn: OMIMONKEEEEEEEEEEY! Thank you so much, and believe me, I will. Writing is my life. Without writing I go crazy like Sokka on cactus juice. O_O And yes, you can call me "my friend". :D Thanks again! X)**

**2-shadows: ^_^ Haha! I'm glad you like him! Brothers with ADD and ADHD? I feel for ya, sista! O_O IT'S SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE! (from Despeciable Me" ^_^) :)**

**love me: It's a really pretty place from what I've heard. :) And I thought it would be the PERFECT setting for a proposal. :) It would have been awkward, all that money for nothing. A flight to Italy, a four-star hotel in Venice, a gandola ride, and not to mention the ring. O_O She will get her revenge, but in a way, she sort of owes Jin. if not for her, she would have never met Zuzu. :) LOLOLOL I just LOVE that proposal! For some reason, I would really adore it if a guy did that for me. 6_6 rotflol! ^_^ Your family sounds...fun. X) It is not fun, especially coming back from the pool. O_O Gum+pool water=NOT GOOD. Lucky duck. :) We could always kidnap them and force them. Ooooh! I know! We could force them onto Iroh's private jet and have him take them around the world doing all his spinning until they give in! XD He did need it, and now he's getting it...hopefully he will accept it and block everyone else out. Ahhh, destiny and fate are playing their cards...sorry, I felt like talking like Iroh for a second. :) Hmm, maybe you should ask him! The window of romance has opened and awaits you, my friend! lol, that's what my dad thinks! Disney RULES! ^_^ Irish and British accents...(sighs dreamily)...thanks so much! X) Thank you for everything, love me!**

**AnnaAza: Quite alright. Believe me, I know what it's like. (rolls eyes and laughs) I'm a sucka for happy endings...:)...He most certainly is. :D I wish he was real... sounds...interesting. :) Thanks so much, AnnaAza! For everything. :)**

**pieari1872: Actually, Sokka came to Zuko for love advice and when Zuko suggested a romantic setting Sokka thought it was terrible idea. And he decided to save money by stealing a ring from his grandma's jewlery box and doing it the easy way. ^_^ The reason she wants to join is because she wants to serve her country the way her dad did-even though she's a pacifist, Vegan, and a hippie in sorts. haha! Not her whole life, just the years she had stolen away from Zuko. They started dating at fifteen and broke up at twenty-one, so six years (plus five for threatening another person). ^_^ Quite alright, cackle as evil is you like. Here, I'll join you. (clears throat) ! (people stare)**

**Shadows of Snowfire: Thanks so mumch, Snowfire! Perhaps I'll make a story just about their wedding and preperations. :) Katara actually did see the video of Kya and Ursa, but at the time didn't know who Ursa was and didn't really care. :)**

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><p>Epilogue<p>

More Or Less

Epilogue

More Or Less

Zuko groaned in exasperation and anguish. "I hate writer's block!" he growled, slamming his laptop down, uncaring he perhaps could have broken it, and placed it on the side table.

He ran is over his face, closing his eyes and finding himself deep within thought again. Writer's block. The curse of being an author—the thing all writers hate beyond anything else, even more than death. (Maybe not all writers, but that was just him.)

It also didn't help he still had Long Feng as his publisher. Constantly poking and prodding with annoying comments. Always rushing and hastening Which was why he made a mental note to call up some other publisher who might be interested.

It shouldn't be that hard to figure out a story. All he needed were some characters, backgrounds, a plot, humor, drama, romance, passion, angst, humor—okay, maybe it was hard.

He exhaled sharply and leaned back against his soft pillow, studying his surroundings. Soon after their marriage, they had moved out of his old apartment (due to the fact he had once shared it with Mai and it was just awkward anyway) and moved to a beach house in a private location, fairly close to the Cala Inn.

Their room was large, with walls painted the color of the sea (Katara's idea), the floor smooth and a creamy brown. The furniture was simple, either light brown or white (also her idea), with pictures on the wall, one of Yin and Yang (both their ideas), to symbolize that despite their different backgrounds, they were still able to create harmony and peace together.

Fire and water, so to speak.

The curtains were pulled back over the large ceiling-to-floor window so the moonlight could beam through, the only other light coming from the lamp next to him. The moonbeams sparked against the sapphire ocean and alabaster sand, and it looked like something out of a beautiful portrait created by a master. Keeping the window open was her idea, since she just loved the moon, claiming it gave her a spark of energy.

Speaking of his lovely wife, he could hear her finishing off her bath in their private bathroom. It had been a _very _long day, full of nagging publishers, screaming fan-girls (who had not grasped the fact he was a married man), and other stuff that caused splitting headaches.

There was a book signing at Barnes and Noble and over eighty people were lined up outside, just waiting to have their books signed by the one and only Zuko X. Agni-who now went simply by Zuko Andrew Mason. This had caused confusion amongst the readers, but they caught on pretty quick, though complained that his "new" name was boring.

He chuckled, his thoughts drifting like the sea. Katara had changed his life for the better-and he could not thank her enough for rescuing him frown the darkness of his past life and bringing him into the light of a new.

But, in a way, he had Mai to thank for all that. Had she not blackmailed him and agreed to the contest for him he would never have met Katara Kalan, and never had this glorious adventure with her. Hell, he could be with some other girl at that moment, or single and alone, possibly the CEO of Agni Inc.

But no, he was with her, continuing the job he loved-more or less at the current moment.

He stretched out his legs over the white blanket and sighed. In the bathroom, the sound of water stopped a plopping sound was heard. He smiled. It was finally over. He sat up straighter and waited like a child on Christmas Eve for his lovely wife to emerge, hopefully in that white silk robe he had purchased her for her birthday.

But after a few minutes, she came out and, to his dismay, was in her absurdly large blue fluffy robe with her pajamas underneath-which consisted of long polar bear pants and, by the looks of it, a Hello Kitty shirt.

Noticing his displeasured frown, she smirked. "Something wrong, dear?"

"No, not at all," he said, placing on a concerned poker face. "I am just...annoyed."

"Why is that, sexy man?" She went over to her vanity and ran a brush through her wet brown hair, smiling at his reflection.

"I'm currently going through something right now," he said dramatically, but not quite enough to deem it fake.

"Oh?" Concern flashed across her blue orbs and he suppressed the urge to smile. "What would that be?"

"Writer's block."

"Oh. Phew." She peered over her shoulder, her gaze now reassuring. "You'll get over it; you always do. Try sleeping, it may help."

He thought for a moment, wondering what the appropriate response would be so that she wouldn't get suspicious of his intentions. He feigned his concern further to worry, furrowing his brow and a frown falling across his face. Maybe she would respond to "the smolder" (something out of a Disney movie called _Tangled_. Sokka made him watch it), but she kept her expression the same.

Did she figure it out? What he was playing it? He looked back over at his computer, making it seem like he was debating whether or not try writing again. But he was dismayed, for she remained silent across the room. Either she was aware, unaware, or doing it on purpose-tormenting him. He frowned at her, but it was brief and quickly glanced away, hoping she did not notice it. But she did.

"What is it, Zuzu?" she asked with feigned innocence.

"Nothing, nothing," he assured her, waving his hand. "I just really hate writer's block."

She fixed her hair for a second before responding, rising up to walk over to the bed. "Oh?" Behind that thick lair of fabric, he was unsure of what her body language was since her poker face was on. And he mentally cursed himself for teaching her poker.

She sat down next to him, a smile on her face, almost cheerful. Ah, she was enjoying the torture she was inflicting on him. How cruel women could be when they wanted to. "Just sleep."

Was it just his imagination, or was she purring?

"Sleep doesn't help, sapphire," he sighed, starting to give up his wild idea.

But then he saw her cock her head and purse her lush pink lips. Life was so unfair. He would try again, and hopefully succeed. Clearly, the signals he was sending weren't exactly getting through to her, so he decided to take on a different approach, a more direct one. He smiled down at her, and made his voice sound soothing, with a little hint of seduction. "You are my inspiration."

"I am well aware." She flicked her finger against the book on the table beside her, the one he had based off of them.

"So, as my inspiration, you must inspire me."

She raised her eyebrows and stared at him curiously, but it was quickly changed into a smirk. "Inspire you, huh?"

"Indeed," he replied, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Sapphire stared intently into amber. "Hmm. Well you see..."

She looked to the side, obviously considering his request carefully, but it wasn't easy since he was brushing his lips in her hair. The robe was gone in that instant, and began their activities. Zuko was feeling inspired already, that is...until...

When Zuko had gone to consult his uncle about the concept of children, Iroh had claimed it would be a wondrous experience. To raise a child that would be living proof of his and Katara's undying love. And then he had pulled out every scrapbook that harbored dozens of pictures of him, his sister, and his late cousin. _"It is a wonderful experience, nephew. There is nothing like it in the world."_

Children were adorable, he supposed, when they wanted to be, and he had actually more than once cooed at a passing baby in a stroller. But when he would be tasked to babysit a child, often his patience would die. And when Katara had brought up the concept of having children a year after their marriage…he had been skeptical about it.

He was fond of the idea of having a family with his lovely wife, but he was also deathly afraid. It's natural reflex to pick up parenting skills from those who raised you, but he didn't want to turn into his father. It scared him he may turn into the living image of his father: cold, heartless, no time for family.

Seeing his fear, Katara had calmed him and claimed he was nothing like his father, and that any child would be lucky to have him as a father. Upon hearing her encouragement, he decided to give it a try.

On the first try they got more than they bargained for.

"This is amazing, Zuko. We're going to be parents." Katara had shouted when she found out she was pregnant with their first child, who later turned out to have a twin lodged in her stomach.

Two kids... _That's not so hard!_ Zuko had thought when they were having the ultrasound. How easy it would be. He would eat his words... and currently he was choking on them. Granted, some kids are sweet little things, but not when they wanted...

"Daaaaddy! Moooommy!"

Katara and Zuko jolted away from each other, she quickly lunging toward her robe while he made a move toward his shirt. Without even knocking, three shadowy figures entered the bedroom.

_Crud, why didn't I listen to Iroh about that lock_

Li Ran, Kiara, and Luna—their three children.

Although they were seriously cute on the outside, Zuko was convinced they were possessed by murderous demons on the inside. Well, except for Luna, who was his little angel—and being such, he would make sure that no boys went near her, and if they did...well, they would know the power of an overprotective father when he's angry...

It's not that he favored her over his other children. He loved all of his children equally, unlike his father. Luna was just easy to keep under surveillance, and so was Li Ran (since he had inherited his mother's personality), it was just Kiara that was the problem. She was constantly sneaking away from them during public events like book signings, awards, and stuff like that and would go flirt with guys way older than her.

He was surprised an eight year old even knew how to flirt. When he had questioned Katara about the topic, she only said, "Don't look at me, I kept a safe distance from boys before I met you. Maybe she got it from you..."

This could be possible, since his uncle taught him to flirt when he was seven and tried it out at the girls at his school. It did not end well...

...it actually ended in restraining orders...

"Hellooooo!" Luna ran over and hopped onto the bed, smiling broadly. Her hair was tied up in two braids that bounced with her every movement. Her large sapphire eyes, which were the shape of his own, stared at them with mild curiosity.

This was the seventh...hundred...time those kids had ruined a romantic moment between the kids—one of them during Christmas. Needless to say, this was one of the downsides in having children.

"Kids..." Zuko tried hard to hide his annoyance and exasperation by cloaking it with a tone of surprise. "What're you doing here at"-he checked the clock-"ten-thirty?"

"We couldn't sleep," said  
>Luna, moving between Katara and Zuko. "So we came here so you could read to us!"<p>

Kiara rolled her golden eyes at her younger sister, and then dropped her voice into a whisper so only her father could hear. "No, actually, she just wanted us to escort her here because she's afraid of the 'monster in her closet'." She used air quotes and rolled her eyes again.

Zuko silently debated his next move. Comfort his daughter by reading or have quality time with his beautiful wife…?

"Sorry, Lu," he said. "But I and your mother just really need to have a conversation."

"Conversation" was the code word he and his wife used whenever they meant something else. Luna hadn't figured it out yet, being only six, but Kiara and Li Ran did, and made gagging noises when they heard it being said. Luna didn't look about ready to back down from her father just yet.

"Pleeeaaasee! I promise we'll go straight to sleeeeeeeeeep!"

"No," Zuko said firmly, but gently. "Sweetie, just go to bed."

Luna pouted, remaining where she was and standing her ground against her father. Katara smacked his arm and hissed, "Do you really want to relive the Christmas situation?"

He considered this carefully—no, he did not want to relive it, but on the other hand, he didn't really want to have to read the kids a story when his wife was only a few inches away from him. Not that he hated reading to his children. Far from it. In fact, he greatly enjoyed telling them the epic of adventures of some of his favorite literary characters—Frodo Baggins, Harry Potter, Mr. Darcy, and so on.

But during moments such as this…

He looked back at Katara, his eyes pleading. She sighed heavily and said in a soft voice, "If you do it, we'll cuddle. I promise."

"Uh, hey, Mom, we're still here," Kiara said, shuddering.

"And incredibly grossed out," Li Ran nearly gagged.

"Your father will tell a story," Katara said, ignoring their last comments.

Zuko sighed. It was either this or the grounding punishment again... "What do you want to hear about?" he asked dryly.

"A romance story!" Luna cried at once, beaming.

"One with action," Li Ran said.

"One with violence," Kiara put it, following her brother onto the bed. He felt slightly disturbed by that remark.

Zuko sighed again, and got up to inspect the bookshelf that harbored all of his own as well as others.

"Zuko!" Katara pulled him back down. "You're a writer—make something up."

"Fine!" he snapped, and then patted the end of the bed. "C'mon, children."

The twins hopped on and stared expectantly at their parents as Luna cuddled up to them.

"Okay. Once a upon a time—"

"Cheesy!" Kiara hollered, smirking.

Li Ran nudged her arm in exasperation.

He ignored her. "-there lived a rich, handsome, incredibly sexy man named...uh...Zavier, and a lovely, yet poor, girl named Katarina-"

"Is this a story about you and Mom? Because you aren't doing a very good job at hiding it," Kiara said.

"Hey, look, you want a story or not?"

"Fine. Carry on, _Zavier_."

**{*}{*}{*}**

Zuko sighed in relief.

The children had finally fallen asleep. Truthfully, he wasn't even half done with the story before they zonked out in boredom, and he was forced to carry them back to their bedrooms before racing back to his, expecting to see her waiting for him in something (hopefully) sexy. But to his surprise, he found her huddled up under the blankets and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Maybe she was just waiting...he slowly made his way towards her, utterly confused by her actions. She was still wearing her comfy clothes, and showed little interest in continuing their previous activities. He lied down next to her, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

There was no way she was going to leave him hanging. He stroked her cheek and she cuddled up to his chest, and he saw this as a very good sign, until she exhaled softly and drifted into sleep. Not going happen. He gently shook her and said, "Hey, waky, waky."

She opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"You promised."

"I only said we'd cuddle-and we are."

"But-"

"I'm sorry, Zuzu," she yawned, adjusting herself up on her elbow. "I would love to, don't get me wrong. But you'll just have to wait."

"What the hell?" he complained. "Why do I have to wait? What's going on, Katara? You made wait six months before you let me be with you again. Then you make me wait another month. Now you're making me wait again. What is up?"

She smiled at him, a devilish glint in her sapphire eyes. "You have to wait nine months," she cooed.

"Nine months? What the..." he blinked.

She waited patiently as he processed this new information in his mind, her smile everlasting. His confusion slowly transfigured into realization, and he felt as if someone had just struck him in the chest, and he felt lightheaded.

"You're pregnant."

She shrugged, smiling innocently. "I just found out a while ago, and I made you wait so I could find out if it was positive."

"I'm having a baby..." he murmured in awe. No matter how many times it happened, it always felt like the first. Scary, but blissfully amazing.

"I'm technically the one having a baby," she smirked, pointing toward her stomach. "But yes. Sort of."

He rested his hand on her stomach and brushed his thumb against her flat abs, which in a matter of months would be become plump. He felt a smile fall across his face, and he kissed her forehead before speaking. "That's brilliant, Katara—wait a second..." he narrowed his eyes and glared. "_Nine months_? And you failed to tell me before?"

She giggled darkly, closing her eyes and slipping back into sleep, and this time, he didn't wake her up. Honestly...nine months. Now that was torture, pure, utter torture... but on the other hand, a baby...he smiled at the thought.

He made a mental note of calling to inform Iroh, who was always the first to know about the pregnancies. He would be pleased to have another child to teach about tea. Or maybe he would take the kids to the Order of the White Lotus Club to inform him in person.

And then there was the rest of their families and friends…but they had plenty of time to spread the word.

He kissed her lightly on the forehead, and she stirred in his arms, a smile on her own face as she snuggled up to his warm chest. He chuckled and closed his own eyes.

"Goodnight, my sapphire," he whispered in her ear.

_His sapphire, his love, his inspiration…_

* * *

><p><strong>Wow.<strong>

**This is what it feels like to complete a story you're proud of...(smiles) Meesa likey! ^_^ Okay, first things first, I would like to thank you all soooo much for your support and kind reviews! You've all been so amazing and I cannot thank you enough! X) (wipes tears of joy) I'm a sap...anyway, thanks again, to all of you! (beams) And just...omimonkey, thank you, thank you, thank you! BTW, I'm sorry I didn't include a wedding, I know you guys really (really) wanted one. :( As for Jin...well...(devlish smile)...during their wedding (Haru and Jin's), Katara wrote the words "HELP ME" on Haru's shoes, so that when he was kneeling down, everyone got to see. The idea actually came from what my grandpa did to my father as a joke. True story. :) Anyway, I love you guys so much and thanks for everything! TTFN! ^_^ Until next time, my fellow fan-girls (and perhaps boys who have read this)! ^_^**

**Lots of Love,**

**Raquel**

**PS: May the Zutara be with you!**


	35. Important: Please Read: Thank you

**love me: Of course I remember you! How can I not? :D Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear love me, happy birthday to yooou! ^_^ I'm really glad to hear that! XD It should be coming out this week. ;) See ya then! TTFN! :)**

**Lady Elisabeth: Oh, you're welcome. I know, right? In the old days, this stuff would never have happened, but now it's like a "trend". -_- lol, haha, ikr! XD I just thought it would be awesome if Iroh was a weirdo. ^_^ No prob! X)**

**Princess Daisy of the Shire: :P haha, ikr. I'm stoked you liked it, Dais. :)**

**Princess Daisy of the Shire: No. XP jk!**

**Princess Daisy of the Shire: read and find out. :)**

**Princess Daisy of the Shire: I know, right? ^_^**

**Princess Daisy of the Shire: hmmMmm. I totally agree! She's being so cruel to this sweet, sexy, gentleman...:(..**

**Princess Daisy of the Shire: No, not all. But there are a few, Dais. (eyes)**

**Princess Daisy of the Shire: Yeah, I did. I have a hard time picturing it, though. Probably due to the fact she's practically a zombie. -_-**

**Shado Kitsune: Awwwww, thank you! Tangled? Maaaybeee...;)**

**Zutarian18: Yikes, but now they're over, so let's rejoice! (throws confetti into the air) Omimonkey...thank you...so much, Zutarian. You have no idea how much that means to me. :') And believe me, I'm doing my evil laugh with ya...(clears throat) MWHAHAHAHHAAHAH(cough, cough, cough) Probably not smart to do with a sore throat. O_o Well, no worries, hun, the story isn't completely over...there's going to be a series about this, revolving around the other characters. :) TTFN!**

**TrixTR314: Awww, thank you! Well, I have an easy way of coming up with the plots: Lie awake at night mulling them over without getting any sleep. O_O jk. I just...go with the flow, as Iroh would say. :) I luv ya 2. Hahaha, I was actually eating a snickers bar while writing that chapter, and well...I'm guessing because I had snickers on the brain, my fingers just typed it out...O_o... I never really explained this...hmm...well, Hakoda was actually suspicous of Zuko's true identity when he first saw him (that was why he was so hostile around him, because the moms had predicted the two would be together), but didn't say anything because he wasn't quite sure. :)**

**love me: Quite alright. :) Thank you. :) (laughs) No worries, it's good to have a little Iroh inside your soul and speak it out every now and again, it keeps us from the brink of savagry...holy crap muffins, now I'm going all Jeong Jeong on ya. Terribly sorry. O_O Jet will hopefully get his act together (fingers crossed). Sweetie, the guy would have to be NUTS not to like you. Here's a suggestion that really worked well in the past: befriend him first, then slowly build your way to the top. :) Again, thank you so, so, so, much, love me! :D TTFN.**

**Iceblossom22: Believe me, I will make it, but I'm a little stuck on it currently, but I will certainly try. :) Thanks! Thank you sooooo much...Ashley. ^_^ you rock, as Toph would say. X)**

**Iceblossom22: Thanks so much! X)**

**black rose-raven angel: Haha, I will, I swear. :) Thank you, Rose.. :)**

**Wolfie2500: There will be. ^_^...sometime this week. (wink) Oh, I do. Like a whole series revolving around the other characters, and of course a lot more ZUTARANESS. :D hahaaaa, I figured it was a tradition. Since around the beginning when Zuzu and Kit Kat tried, Jin ruined the moment. When they were watching Rio, Daddy came around. So, I just figured this story should end on a high note. :) The twins are eight years old, going on nine. I will, I swear it. See ya net time, Wolfie!**

**pieari1872: Sadly, but there will be a series revolving around the other characters. I'm going to write the prequel, but I've just been stuck on it because...(sigh)...I lost my document that had a list of all the main characters (fanmade and not fanmade), as well as their ages, nicknames, personalities, physical appearence...if I find it, I'll continue. Or just remake the document. Either way, it will happen. I swear. :) There will be more to come, my friend. More to come. :)**

**patty cake rocks: Thaaaaank yoooou!**

**Shadows of Snowfire: I will make it, I swear. :) (smiles) you will see...(wink)**

* * *

><p> <strong>Hello, my wonderful readers! First off, I know it's been a while, but I would like to thank everyone who subbed, faved, alerted, reviewed, and all that jazz-it meant a lot to me, and I can't thank you all enough for the suppor you've given me. You've all been so amazing. :) And I know I promised you all a prequeal about Ursa and Kya, and I am soooo sorry I haven't updated it furthur, I've just been struggling with how to write it. Again, so sorry. But, on a happier note, I have good news. Okay, I've decided to make "Inspiration" into a series! As you have read, Zutara has had their happy ending, but I never really dug deep into the heart of the other characters, so the next stories in the series will circle around them, but no worries! There will STILL be plenty of Zutara. ;) I'm also going to make little spinoffs of "Inspiration" about Zutara. ("Unwrapping"), and more to come, my lovely readers! Expect the second instalment of the series to arrive shortly! Again, thank you all so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so much! You are all...just awesome. :) I luv you all! Review please, and leave me your thoughts about my idea about the series. Thank you!<strong>

**Lots of Love,**

**Raquel:)**


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